JLPT N3 Grammar Guide with Examples
N3 is the bridge between basic and advanced Japanese. It covers a wider range of vocabulary, kanji and grammar so you can follow everyday situations at close to natural speed. This grammar guide is made for intermediate learners moving from textbook Japanese toward real-world Japanese.
Below are 88 JLPT N3 grammar study entries, including だけ, しか〜ない, ばかり, 〜てばかりいる. 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 N3 grammar — full list
| Pattern / example | Meaning, reading and notes |
|---|---|
| だけ | just / only (neutral) |
| しか〜ない | only (with scarcity feeling; needs negative) |
| ばかり | nothing but / always (often complaint) |
| 〜てばかりいる | always doing ~ (exasperated) |
| 見るだけです | I'm just looking (shop phrase) |
| 千円しかない | I only have 1000 yen (scarcity) |
| ゲームばかりする | do nothing but play games |
| ちょっとだけ | just a little |
| ようになる | come to / become able to (change) |
| ようにする | try to / make a habit of (effort) |
| なくなる | stop doing / no longer (negative change) |
| 話せるようになった | became able to speak |
| 運動するようにしている | I'm trying to exercise (habit) |
| 食べなくなった | I stopped eating |
| ようにしてください | please make a habit of (polite) |
| できるようになりたい | I want to become able to do |
| はず | should be / expected to be |
| はずがない | no way / can't possibly be |
| わけ | reason / it follows that |
| わけではない | it's not that... (partial denial) |
| わけがない | no way / impossible (strong) |
| つもり (plan) | intend to / plan to |
| 〜たつもり | thought I had (but maybe didn't) |
| そんなはずがない | that can't be true! |
| 気をつけたつもり | I thought I was being careful (but...) |
| それでわけですね | ah, so that's why |
| 日本に行くつもりです | I plan to go to Japan |
| 若いつもり | I think of myself as young |
| 上手になるはず | should become skilled |
| 日本語が分かるようになる | come to understand Japanese |
| ため(に) | because of / in order to (formal) |
| せい(で) | because of (negative / blame) |
| おかげ(で) | thanks to (positive) |
| おかげさまで | "I'm well, thanks for asking" |
| 人のせいにする | to blame other people |
| 〜のに | even though (disappointed / unexpected result) |
| せっかく〜のに | after all that trouble, and yet... |
| 〜くせに | even though (accusatory / complaining, casual) |
| 〜ものの | although (formal / written) |
| せっかく | going to all the trouble of... / making a special effort |
| 〜と | if/when — automatic, natural result (no commands) |
| 〜ば | if — hypothetical condition (行けば, 安ければ) |
| 〜たら | when/if — the flexible all-rounder (past form + ら) |
| 〜なら | if that's the case (picks up on context) |
| 春になると桜が咲く | when spring comes, blossoms bloom (と) |
| 練習すれば | if you practise... (ば — advice/general truth) |
| 家に帰ったら | when I get home... (たら) |
| 日本に行くなら | if you're going to Japan... (なら) |
| 帰ったら誰もいなかった | when I got home, no one was there (たら — surprise) |
| ちりも積もれば山となる | even dust piles into a mountain (ば proverb) |
| 〜について | about / concerning — the topic. 環境について話す. Formal: 〜に関して |
| 〜に対して | toward / in response to — the target. 質問に対して答える |
| 〜にとって | from the standpoint of (opinion follows). 私にとって難しい |
| 〜として | as / in the capacity of. 通訳として働く. 〜としては = personally |
| に対して vs に向かって | attitudinal direction vs physical direction |
| 〜出す vs 〜始める | 出す = sudden burst (泣き出す) / 始める = neutral start |
| 〜続ける / 〜終わる | keep doing / finish doing: 読み続ける, 読み終わる |
| 〜きる | do completely: 食べきる, 使いきる, 言いきる (declare flatly) |
| 〜きれない | cannot finish: 食べきれない, 数えきれない |
| 〜かける | started but unfinished (読みかけ) OR do to someone (話しかける) |
| 〜直す | redo properly: 書き直す, やり直す, 考え直す |
| 〜合う | do mutually: 話し合う, 助け合う, 知り合う |
| 〜べきだ | should/ought — personal judgement. するべきだ／すべきだ. Negative: べきではない |
| 〜べきだった | should have — regret about a specific past action |
| 〜ものだ | general truth / "that's just how it is" — a shared norm, not personal opinion |
| 〜ものではない | a gentle "you shouldn't" — a soft social norm, gentler than べきではない |
| 〜ものだ (nostalgia) | past + よく + ものだ = fond reminiscence about the past |
| 〜がち | tends to / prone to — a repeated pattern. 遅刻しがち = often late |
| 〜気味 | a touch of, a slight sign of right now. 疲れ気味 = a bit tired |
| がち vs 気味 | がち = repeated pattern over time / 気味 = one mild state now |
| 〜わりに(は) | considering X, surprisingly Y. 安いわりにおいしい |
| 〜にしては | for a category, surprisingly Y. 子供にしてはしっかりしている |
| 〜たびに | every time that… — a repeated pattern. 会うたびに、旅行のたびに |
| たびに vs とき | たびに = every single time (repeated); とき = when (can be one occasion) |
| 〜ついでに | while doing X, also Y — a small extra on the same trip. 買い物のついでに |
| ついでに vs ながら | ついでに = side errand added to a main one; ながら = two actions at once |
| 〜最中（さいちゅう） | right in the middle of — usually when something interrupts. 会議の最中に |
| 最中 reading | さいちゅう (in the middle of) — NOT もなか (a rice-cake sweet) |
| 〜ようとする | be about to / try to do. 出かけようとしたとき… |
| 〜ようとしない | won't even try / refuses to. 野菜を食べようとしない |
| ようとする vs ようにする | ようとする = the attempt now; ようにする = working at a habit over time |
| Volitional forms | する→しよう 来る→来よう 食べる→食べよう 行く→行こう 飲む→飲もう |
| ～によると | according to ~ (citing a source) |
| おいしいそうだ | I hear it's delicious (hearsay: plain + そうだ) |
| おいしそうだ | it looks delicious (appearance: stem + そうだ) |
| ～らしい | apparently / seems (gathered info) |
| ～ようだ / ～みたい | it seems (your own inference) |
| ～とのことだ | I'm told that ~ (formal report) |
Every JLPT N3 grammar point explained
Each of the 54 JLPT N3 grammar patterns has its own page with the meaning, how to build it, examples and practice questions.
Browse all JLPT N3 grammar points →Practice questions
Test yourself with 6 sample questions from the JLPT N3 grammar quiz in the app. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. "Only" with feeling of scarcity uses?
- だけ (dake)
- のみ (nomi)
- ばかり (bakari)
- しか〜ない (shika ~nai)
Show answer
Answer: しか〜ない (shika ~nai)
しか + negative = "only" with scarcity. The negative is required!
2. "I've come to enjoy sushi" uses which pattern?
- 楽しむつもり (tanoshimu tsumori)
- 楽しむわけ (tanoshimu wake)
- 楽しめるようになる (tanoshimeru you ni naru)
- 楽しむばかり (tanoshimu bakari)
Show answer
Answer: 楽しめるようになる (tanoshimeru you ni naru)
ようになる expresses change. 楽しめるようになった = became able to enjoy.
3. "There's no way he'd lie" uses?
- 嘘をつくはずだ (uso o tsuku hazu da)
- 嘘をつくはずがない (uso o tsuku hazu ga nai)
- 嘘をついたつもり (uso o tsuita tsumori)
- 嘘をつくわけ (uso o tsuku wake)
Show answer
Answer: 嘘をつくはずがない (uso o tsuku hazu ga nai)
はずがない = "no way / can't possibly." Strong logical denial.
4. For making a habit of doing something, use?
- ようになる (you ni naru)
- つもり (tsumori)
- はず (hazu)
- ようにする (you ni suru)
Show answer
Answer: ようにする (you ni suru)
ようにする = active effort. 運動するようにしている = I make a habit of exercising.
5. ばかり often carries which tone?
- Polite
- Neutral
- Question
- Excess / slight complaint
Show answer
Answer: Excess / slight complaint
ばかり = "nothing but / always" with tone of excess. ゲームばかり = nothing but games.
6. "I thought I had locked the door, but..." uses?
- 鍵をかけるつもり (kagi o kakeru tsumori)
- 鍵をかけたつもり (kagi o kaketa tsumori)
- 鍵をかけるはず (kagi o kakeru hazu)
- 鍵をかけたわけ (kagi o kaketa wake)
Show answer
Answer: 鍵をかけたつもり (kagi o kaketa tsumori)
Past + つもり = "thought I had." Implies mistake. 鍵をかけたつもりだった = I thought I locked it (but didn't).
Study JLPT N3 grammar in the free app
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Frequently asked questions
Is this the official JLPT N3 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 N3 lessons. It focuses on what learners at this level are most likely to meet.
How should I study the JLPT N3 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 N3 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.