N3 grammar · 133
Lessons 1–10
- 1〜うちに"while ~ (still)", "before the situation changes" — do something during the window in which a condition holds.
- 2〜ば〜ほど"the more ~, the more ~" — two things increase together.
- 3〜わけだ"no wonder ~", "that means ~", "so that's why ~" — a conclusion that follows naturally from known facts.
- 4〜わけではないIt's not that… / it doesn't mean that…
- 5〜わけがないThere's no way that… / it's impossible that…
- 6〜わけにはいかないCan't (for social or moral reasons) / can't afford to
- 7〜ことだ"you should ~", "the thing to do is ~" — advice stated as a general rule.
- 8〜ことか"how ~!", "so very ~" — an exclamation of strong emotion.
- 9〜ことはない(1) "there is no need to ~", "no reason to ~"; (2) "never ~ (does not happen)".
- 10〜ことになっている"it is a rule / arrangement / custom that ~", "is supposed to ~".
Lessons 11–20
- 11〜ことにしているI make it a rule to… / I make a habit of…
- 12〜ということだ(1) "I hear that ~", "it is said that ~" (hearsay); (2) "that means ~", "in other words" (conclusion).
- 13〜というのは…means… / what is called… / the reason is…
- 14〜とは限らないNot necessarily… / not always…
- 15〜ものだ / 〜ものではないThat's the way things are / one should… / one should not…
- 16〜もの / 〜もん (reason)"because ~" — a sentence-final, emotional justification or excuse, often childish or feminine in tone.
- 17〜せいで / 〜せいか / 〜せいだ"because of ~ (with a bad result)", "it's ~'s fault"; 〜せいか = "perhaps because of ~".
- 18〜おかげで / 〜おかげだThanks to… / owing to…
- 19〜ために (cause / reason)Because of… / due to… (formal cause)
- 20〜によって / 〜による / 〜によりDepending on… / by means of… / due to… / by (agent)
Lessons 21–30
- 21〜によると / 〜によれば"according to ~" — marks the source of information.
- 22〜に対して / 〜に対するToward… / to… / in contrast to…
- 23〜について / 〜についてのAbout… / concerning…
- 24〜にとってFor… / from the standpoint of…
- 25〜に関して / 〜に関する"regarding ~", "concerning ~", "related to ~" — the formal version of 〜について.
- 26〜にかけてFrom… through… / when it comes to…
- 27〜としてAs… / in the capacity of…
- 28〜とともに / 〜と共にTogether with… / as… also… / at the same time as…
- 29〜にしたがって / 〜に従ってAs… (progresses) / in accordance with…
- 30〜につれて / 〜につれ"as ~ (changes), ~ also changes" — two gradual changes moving together.
Lessons 31–40
- 31〜に比べて / 〜に比べ"compared to ~", "in comparison with ~".
- 32〜に加えて / 〜に加え"in addition to ~", "on top of ~".
- 33〜代わりに / 〜かわりにInstead of… / in place of… / in exchange for…
- 34〜たびに / 〜度にEvery time… / whenever…
- 35〜ついでに"while (doing) ~, also ~" — taking the opportunity of one action to do a second, minor one.
- 36〜最中に / 〜最中だRight in the middle of…
- 37〜途中で / 〜途中にOn the way to… / partway through…
- 38〜ところに / 〜ところへ / 〜ところで / 〜ところをJust when… / at the moment of…
- 39〜とたん(に) / 〜途端にThe moment… / just as… (something sudden happened)
- 40〜てからでないと / 〜てからでなければ"unless ~ first", "not until ~ (can you ...)".
Lessons 41–50
- 41〜て以来"ever since ~" — a state that has continued without interruption since a past event.
- 42〜以上(は)"since ~", "now that ~" — given this fact, the natural consequence must follow.
- 43〜上で / 〜上の / 〜上ではAfter (doing)… / in the process of… / on paper…
- 44〜からには"now that ~", "since ~, then naturally ~" — determination or obligation follows.
- 45〜からといって"just because ~ doesn't mean ~" — rejects a hasty conclusion.
- 46〜からこそ"precisely because ~", "it is exactly because ~" — strong emphasis on the reason.
- 47〜くらい / 〜ぐらい(1) "to the extent that ~", "so ~ that ~"; (2) "at least ~", "something as trivial as ~"; (3) an approximate amount.
- 48〜ほど(1) "to the extent of ~", "so ~ that ~"; (2) approximate quantity (more formal than くらい); (3) 〜ほど〜はない = "nothing is as ~ as ~".
- 49〜ほど〜ないNot as… as…
- 50〜さえEven… (extreme example)
Lessons 51–60
- 51〜さえ〜ば"if only ~", "as long as ~" — one condition is all that is needed.
- 52〜こそ"precisely ~", "it is ~ that ~" — emphasis on the word it follows.
- 53〜しかない (have no choice but to)"there is nothing for it but to ~", "we have no choice but to ~". Added to a dictionary-form verb to say that one option is all that is left.
- 54〜ずにWithout doing…
- 55〜ないでWithout doing… / instead of… / don't…
- 56〜っぽい"-ish", "looks like ~", "tends to ~" — often slightly negative.
- 57〜がちTends to… / prone to… / often…
- 58〜気味 / 〜ぎみA touch of… / slightly…
- 59〜げ"looking ~", "seeming ~" — the outward appearance of an emotion or state.
- 60〜っけ"was it ~?", "what was ~ again?" — checking a hazy memory.
Lessons 61–70
- 62〜なんてThings like… / that…! (surprise or contempt)
- 63〜なんかThings like… / … or something / someone like…
- 64たとえ〜ても"even if ~", "no matter ~" — a hypothetical concession.
- 65〜としてもEven if… (supposing that) / even as…
- 66〜にしては"for ~", "considering ~" — reality does not match the expectation the first part sets up.
- 67〜にしても(1) "even if ~", "even though ~"; (2) 〜にしても〜にしても: "whether ~ or ~".
- 68〜としたら / 〜とすれば / 〜とすると"if we suppose ~", "assuming ~", "if it is the case that ~".
- 69〜と言えば / 〜といえばSpeaking of… / when you mention…
- 70〜と言っても / 〜といってもAlthough I say… / even though it's called…
- 71〜というより"rather than ~", "more ~ than ~" — replaces a description with a more accurate one.
Lessons 71–80
- 72〜一方(で) / 〜いっぽう(で)on one hand… / while… (two contrasting or parallel sides)
- 73〜反面 / 〜はんめんon the other hand / while… (the opposite side of the same thing)
- 74〜だけでなく〜も / 〜だけではなくnot only… but also…
- 75〜はもちろんX of course, and Y too / not to mention X
- 76〜たって / 〜だってeven if… / no matter how much… (casual 〜ても)
- 77〜べきだ / 〜べきではないshould / ought to (moral or logical duty); should not
- 78〜はずがない / 〜はずはないit can't be that… / there's no way… (strong denial based on reasoning)
- 79〜に違いない"must be ~", "I'm sure that ~" — a confident inference from evidence.
- 80〜に決まっている"definitely ~", "of course ~", "it's bound to be ~" — strong personal conviction.
- 81〜らしい (typical of)typical of… / -like / true to… (shows the ideal qualities of the noun)
Lessons 81–90
- 82〜みたいな / 〜みたいに / 〜みたいだlike… / similar to… / seems like… (casual 〜ようだ)
- 83〜っぱなし"leave ~ as it is" (neglect), "keep on ~ing" — usually with a negative or tiring nuance.
- 84〜きる / 〜きれる / 〜きれない"do ~ completely / finish ~ing"; 〜きれる "can finish"; 〜きれない "cannot finish, too much to ~".
- 85〜抜く / 〜ぬくdo… through to the end / do… despite difficulty (persevere)
- 86〜込む / 〜こむinto (movement inward) / deeply, thoroughly (intensifies the action)
- 87〜直す / 〜なおすre-do… / do… again to fix or improve it
- 88〜かけるstart to… (but not finish) / be about to… / halfway through…
- 90〜てもらいたい / 〜ていただきたいI would like (you) to… (request; いただきたい is humble and polite)
- 91〜ていただけませんか / 〜てもらえませんかCould you please…? (polite request; いただけませんか is more polite)
- 93〜させてもらう / 〜させていただくbe allowed to… / (humbly) do… with your permission
Lessons 91–100
- 94〜(さ)せられる (causative-passive)be made to… / be forced to… (often with reluctance)
- 95〜ておくdo… in advance / do… and leave it (as is)
- 97〜てくる / 〜ていく (change over time)has been …ing (up to now) / will go on …ing (from now); gradual change toward or away from the present
- 98〜一方だ / 〜いっぽうだkeeps on …ing / continues only to… (one-directional change)
- 99〜ばかりだ(1) "only keeps ~ing", "does nothing but get ~" — a one-way, usually worsening change; (2) "all that is left is to ~" — everything else is ready.
- 100〜がる / 〜がっている(a third person) shows signs of feeling… / seems to want…
- 101〜だらけ"full of ~", "covered in ~" — always undesirable things.
- 102〜向け / 〜向き向け: intended for… (target audience); 向き: suitable for… (naturally suited)
- 103〜的 / 〜てき-ic / -al / -like (turns a noun into a な-adjective)
- 104〜化 / 〜か-ization / turn into… / become… (change of state)
Lessons 101–110
- 105〜性 / 〜せい-ness / -ity (quality, nature, property)
- 106〜中 / 〜ちゅう / 〜じゅうちゅう: in the middle of… / during…; じゅう: throughout… / all over…
- 107〜際(に) / 〜さいにwhen… / on the occasion of… (formal)
- 108〜ぶり / 〜振り(1) for the first time in… (time span); (2) the way one does… / manner of…
- 109〜くせに"even though ~", "despite ~" — with criticism, blame or contempt.
- 110〜のに(1) although… / even though… (unexpected result); (2) in order to… / for …ing (purpose, with 便利 / 必要 / 使う)
- 111〜も〜ば〜も / 〜も〜なら〜も"both ~ and ~", "not only ~ but also ~" — listing two items of the same kind.
- 112〜とか〜とかthings like… and… / … or … (casual, non-exhaustive listing)
- 114〜ようにするmake an effort to… / make sure to… / try to… (habitual effort)
- 115〜ように言う / 〜ように頼む / 〜ように注意するtell / ask / warn (someone) to… (indirect command or request)
Lessons 111–120
- 116〜ようと思う / 〜ようと思っているI think I'll… / I'm planning to… (intention)
- 117〜ようとしない"refuse to ~", "make no attempt to ~" — someone else's stubborn unwillingness.
- 118〜つもりだったI intended to… (but didn't) / I thought I had… (but I was wrong)
- 119〜はずだったwas supposed to… (but didn't happen)
- 120〜ところだったalmost…ed / was about to… (but didn't) (narrow escape)
- 121〜ようになっているis set up so that… / is designed to… (mechanism or system)
- 122〜ことになる(1) it has been decided that… (decision by others or circumstances); (2) it means that… / it amounts to… (logical conclusion)
- 123〜必要がある / 〜必要はないit is necessary to… / need to…; there is no need to…
- 125〜とく / 〜どく (contraction of 〜ておく)do… in advance / leave… as is (casual contraction of 〜ておく)
- 126〜てる / 〜でる (contraction of 〜ている)is …ing / has …ed (casual contraction of 〜ている)
Lessons 121–130
- 127〜である / 〜ではない (formal written copula)is / is not (formal written copula)
- 128〜ず(に) / 〜ており / 〜ておらず (formal written forms)ず: not… and / without …ing (formal ないで); ており: is …ing and (formal ていて); ておらず: is not …ing and
- 129〜ばよかった / 〜なければよかったI should have…ed / I shouldn't have…ed (regret)
- 130〜てよかった / 〜なくてよかったI'm glad that… / I'm glad I didn't… (relief or satisfaction about what happened)
- 131〜ないと (いけない)have to… / must… (casual; the ending いけない / だめだ is often dropped)
- 132〜なくちゃ / 〜なきゃhave to… / must… (casual contractions of 〜なくては / 〜なければ)
- 133〜たものだused to… (nostalgic recollection of past habits)
- 134〜とは(1) "~ means ~", "what is ~" (definition / topic); (2) "to think that ~!" (surprise or shock).
- 135〜さ (nominalizer)-ness (turns an adjective into a noun expressing degree or amount)
- 136〜み (nominalizer)-ness (turns an adjective into a noun expressing a felt quality or the place/area with that quality)