JLPT N2 Grammar Guide with Examples
N2 covers the Japanese used in newspapers, workplaces and a wide range of everyday settings. It is the level many companies and universities in Japan ask for. This grammar guide is made for upper-intermediate learners aiming to study or work in Japanese.
Below are 72 JLPT N2 grammar study entries, including 〜わけだ, 道理で〜わけだ, 〜わけではない, 別に〜わけじゃない. Grammar patterns with short meanings and example sentences.
How to use this list
- Read the example sentences first, then work out the pattern from them.
- Write your own sentence for each pattern — one that is about your life is easiest to remember.
- Pay attention to what comes before the pattern (verb form, noun, adjective) — that is where most mistakes happen.
JLPT N2 grammar — full list
| Pattern / example | Meaning, reading and notes |
|---|---|
| 〜わけだ | no wonder / that's why / it follows that |
| 道理で〜わけだ | no wonder ~ (natural pairing) |
| 〜わけではない | it's not (necessarily) that... (partial denial) |
| 別に〜わけじゃない | it's not like I (particularly)... |
| 〜わけがない | there's no way / impossible (strong) |
| 〜わけにはいかない | can't (for social/moral/practical reasons) |
| 〜ないわけにはいかない | must / have no choice but to |
| 休むわけにはいかない | I can't afford to take time off |
| そんなわけがない | there's no way! / impossible! |
| 上手なわけだ | no wonder they're good |
| 〜ば〜ほど | the more X, the more Y |
| 練習すればするほど | the more you practise... |
| 安ければ安いほど | the cheaper, the better |
| 〜につれて | as (gradual, natural change) |
| 時間がたつにつれて | as time passes... |
| 〜にしたがって | as / in accordance with (rules too) |
| 説明書にしたがって | according to the manual |
| ほど（extent） | to the point of / as much as |
| 死ぬほど疲れた | dead tired (tired to the point of dying) |
| 思ったほど〜ない | not as ~ as I thought |
| 〜ものの | although (it's true that)... [written] |
| 免許は取ったものの | although I got my licence... |
| とはいうものの | that said / having said that |
| 〜にもかかわらず | despite / in spite of [formal] |
| 大雨にもかかわらず | despite the heavy rain |
| 〜つつも | even while / even though (inner conflict) |
| 知りつつも | even though I knew... |
| 〜つつ | while (literary ながら) |
| 〜くせに | even though (critical / blaming) |
| 知っているくせに | even though he knows (annoyed) |
| 〜ざるを得ない | have no choice but to (forced, reluctant) |
| 中止せざるを得ない | have no choice but to cancel |
| する→せざるを得ない | irregular: must do |
| 〜ずにはいられない | can't help (doing) |
| 泣かずにはいられない | can't help crying |
| する→せずにはいられない | irregular: can't help doing |
| 〜よりほかない | there's nothing for it but to |
| 〜ほかない | no choice but to |
| 歩いて帰るよりほかない | nothing to do but walk home |
| 〜ないわけにはいかない | must / can't avoid (obligation) |
| 〜に基づいて | based on (evidence/foundation): 実話に基づいて. Modifier: に基づく |
| 〜に沿って | in line with (policy/wishes/plan): ご希望に沿って |
| 〜を通じて | through a medium (友人を通じて) or throughout a period (一年を通じて) |
| 〜をめぐって | over/surrounding — ONLY for contested matters. 法律をめぐる議論 |
| ます-stem + 次第 | as soon as (never past tense): 決まり次第ご連絡します |
| 名詞 + 次第で | depending on: 天気次第で予定を変える |
| 〜において/における | formal "in/at" — 現代社会において, 日本における教育制度 |
| 〜かねない | could well happen — ONLY bad outcomes: 誤解されかねない |
| 〜かねる | cannot (polite refusal, negative despite no marker): お答えしかねます |
| 〜っこない | no chance whatsoever — casual only: 分かりっこない |
| 〜得る (うる/える) | formally possible: あり得る. Other forms use え: 得ない (えない) |
| あり得ない | ありえない — impossible. The most-heard 得ない form |
| 〜あげく（に） | and after all that... (exasperated, almost always a bad/ironic result): 悩んだあげく、買わなかった |
| 〜末（すえ）に | after a long process, finally — neutral, can be positive: 失敗した末に成功した |
| 〜ばかりに | all because of just this — small trigger, strong personal regret: 一言言ったばかりに怒らせた |
| せいで vs おかげで | せいで = because of (blame). おかげで = thanks to (credit, N4 review). Opposite emotional charge. |
| 〜てはじめて | only after doing X did I realise Y: 親になってはじめて分かった. Pairs with 分かる/気づく. |
| 〜ないことには | unless you do X, Y is impossible (formal precondition): 実際に見ないことには何とも言えない |
| 〜てからでないと | not unless you first do X — implies a step-by-step order: 許可を得てからでないと使用できません |
| 〜からといって | just because X, doesn't mean Y — pairs with わけではない/とは限らない: 高いからといって質がいいわけではない |
| あげく vs 末に | 悩んだあげく (wasted effort, bad end) vs 悩んだ末に (effortful, outcome open — can be success) |
| ないことには vs てからでないと | both = unless/without. てからでないと implies sequence; ないことには is a broader precondition |
| 〜たとたん（に） | the instant X happened, (unexpectedly) Y — verb-た + とたん. Real past event, no plans/requests: ドアを開けたとたん、猫が飛び出した |
| 〜かと思うと／かと思ったら | no sooner X than Y — often a rapid change/contrast, third-person subject: 泣いていたかと思うと、もう笑っている |
| 〜か〜ないかのうちに | X had barely happened / wasn't even finished when Y — dict + か + ない-form + かのうちに: ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに飛び出した |
| 〜やいなや | the very moment X, Y — literary/written register, = たとたん: 知らせを聞くやいなや、駆けつけた |
| たとたん vs 次第 | 次第 = as soon as (planned, formal, future). たとたん = the instant (unexpected, past, real event). Opposite directions in time. |
| 〜だけあって | as you'd expect from X — the result lives up to X, admiring: 10年住んでいただけあって英語が自然だ. Variant: 〜だけのことはある |
| 〜だけに | all the more because X — X intensifies the result, + or − (often emotional): 期待していただけに、がっかりした |
| だけあって vs だけに | 有名なだけあって混んでいる (lives up to it) vs 有名なだけに批判も多い (precisely because — cuts both ways) |
| 〜ものだから／もので | it's just that X, so... — an excuse/explanation, often defensive: 電車が遅れたものだから間に合わなかった. もので = softer, politer |
| 〜ことだから | noun(person) + の + ことだから = knowing them, surely Y — a confident guess from known character: 真面目な田中さんのことだから時間通りに来る |
Every JLPT N2 grammar point explained
Each of the 46 JLPT N2 grammar patterns has its own page with the meaning, how to build it, examples and practice questions.
Browse all JLPT N2 grammar points →Practice questions
Test yourself with 6 sample questions from the JLPT N2 grammar quiz in the app. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. "No wonder it's cold — it's snowing!" uses?
- 寒いわけにはいかない (samui wake ni wa ikanai)
- 寒いわけがない (samui wake ga nai)
- 寒いわけではない (samui wake de wa nai)
- 寒いわけだ (samui wake da)
Show answer
Answer: 寒いわけだ (samui wake da)
わけだ = "no wonder / that's why." Connecting the new fact (snow) to the noticed fact (cold).
2. "There's no way a child could solve this" uses?
- 解けるわけがない (tokeru wake ga nai)
- 解けるわけだ (tokeru wake da)
- 解けるわけではない (tokeru wake de wa nai)
- 解けるわけにはいかない (tokeru wake ni wa ikanai)
Show answer
Answer: 解けるわけがない (tokeru wake ga nai)
わけがない = impossibility. 子どもに解けるわけがない = no way a child could solve it.
3. "I promised, so I can't just not go" uses?
- 行くわけだ (iku wake da)
- 行かないわけにはいかない (ikanai wake ni wa ikanai)
- 行かないわけではない (ikanai wake de wa nai)
- 行くわけがない (iku wake ga nai)
Show answer
Answer: 行かないわけにはいかない (ikanai wake ni wa ikanai)
〜ないわけにはいかない = "have no choice but to / can't avoid." 行かないわけにはいかない = I can't just not go.
4. "The more I think, the less I understand" uses?
- 考えるにつれて分からない (kangaeru ni tsurete wakaranai)
- 考えるにしたがって分からない (kangaeru ni shitagatte wakaranai)
- 考えれば考えるほど分からなくなる (kangaereba kangaeru hodo wakaranakunaru)
- 考えるわけがない (kangaeru wake ga nai)
Show answer
Answer: 考えれば考えるほど分からなくなる (kangaereba kangaeru hodo wakaranakunaru)
ば〜ほど = "the more... the more." 考えれば考えるほど分からなくなる.
5. "As the economy developed, life got more convenient" is best with?
- 発展すればするほど (hatten sureba suru hodo)
- 発展するわけだ (hatten suru wake da)
- 発展するにつれて (hatten suru ni tsurete)
- 発展するほど (hatten suru hodo)
Show answer
Answer: 発展するにつれて (hatten suru ni tsurete)
につれて = gradual natural change. 経済が発展するにつれて、生活が便利になった.
6. "Please proceed following the arrows" uses?
- 矢印につれて (yajirushi ni tsurete)
- 矢印すればするほど (yajirushi sureba suru hodo)
- 矢印にしたがって (yajirushi ni shitagatte)
- 矢印わけにはいかない (yajirushi wake ni wa ikanai)
Show answer
Answer: 矢印にしたがって (yajirushi ni shitagatte)
にしたがって (from 従う) = "in accordance with." 矢印にしたがって進んでください = follow the arrows.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this the official JLPT N2 grammar list?
There is no single official grammar list for the JLPT, so this is a study list built from the A Star Japanese JLPT N2 lessons. It focuses on what learners at this level are most likely to meet.
How should I study the JLPT N2 grammar?
Read the example sentences first, then work out the pattern from them. Write your own sentence for each pattern — one that is about your life is easiest to remember. Pay attention to what comes before the pattern (verb form, noun, adjective) — that is where most mistakes happen.
How can I practise JLPT N2 grammar for free?
Download A Star Japanese for free on iPhone or Android. It has lessons, flashcards with spaced repetition, quizzes, listening practice with real Japanese voices and timed JLPT mock exams — with no ads.