JLPT N5 grammar list: every pattern you need, organized
The complete JLPT N5 grammar inventory: particles, verb forms, adjectives, and sentence patterns — grouped the way they are actually tested.
Particles
は・が・を・に・で・へ・の・と・も・から・まで — the sentence skeleton.
Verb forms
ます・て・ない・た conjugations across godan, ichidan, and irregular verbs.
Sentence patterns
です statements, existence, desire (たい), permission, and prohibition.
The N5 grammar map
N5 grammar clusters into four groups: particles that mark sentence roles, verb conjugations that carry tense and politeness, adjective behavior (い vs な types), and a set of core sentence patterns like 〜があります, 〜たいです, and 〜てもいいです. Roughly 60–70 patterns total — finite and very learnable.
Particles: the highest-scoring group
Particle questions dominate the N5 grammar section. The tested contrasts are predictable: は vs が for topic and subject, に vs で for existence versus action location, を for objects, へ and に for direction, から/まで for ranges, and の for connection. Practicing them inside full sentences is the only method that sticks.
Verb conjugation: the four essential forms
N5 tests the polite ます form, the connective て form, the negative ない form, and the past た form — across godan, ichidan, する, and 来る verbs. The te-form sound changes (って・んで・いて・いで) and the godan look-alikes (帰る, 入る, 切る) are the classic trap zones.
Adjectives and the patterns around them
い-adjectives conjugate themselves (高い→高くない→高かった) while な-adjectives lean on です (静か→静かじゃない). N5 loves testing the negative-past crossover point (高くなかった) and adverb forms (高く, 静かに).
How to turn the list into points
Reading a grammar list feels like progress; answering questions is progress. Work through the list one cluster at a time, then drill each cluster with fill-in-the-blank questions until choices are automatic. The free quizzes on this site cover particles and conjugation; the full OK Nihongo course drills every N5 pattern with explanations.
Frequently asked questions
How many grammar points are in JLPT N5?
Around 60–70 patterns depending on how you count, spanning particles, verb forms, adjectives, and set sentence patterns.
What is the hardest part of N5 grammar?
Consistently: は vs が, に vs で, and te-form conjugation. All three reward sentence-level practice over rule memorization.
Do I need keigo for N5?
Only the polite です/ます style. Honorific and humble language (敬語) starts mattering from N4–N3.
Is N5 grammar enough for basic conversation?
Yes — N5 patterns cover introductions, shopping, directions, time, and daily routines. The gap is usually vocabulary and listening speed, not grammar.