🇯🇵 Japanese Lessons
30-day journey from N3 to N1 — one lesson a day, advent-calendar style.
Te-Form Connections
Master the て-form to chain actions and link clauses naturally.
Conditional with と
Use 〜と to express natural or inevitable conditions.
Potential Form — Can Do
Express ability and possibility using the potential form.
Passive Voice
Learn how to express actions done to you with the passive form.
Causative Form
Make or let someone do something with the causative form.
Giving and Receiving Verbs
Use あげる, もらう, くれる correctly based on perspective.
Expressing Regret — ばよかった
Express wishes about the past using 〜ばよかった.
Relative Clauses
Modify nouns with relative clauses — Japanese puts the modifier before the noun.
ながら — While Doing
Describe two simultaneous actions with 〜ながら.
てしまう — Completed or Regrettable Action
Use 〜てしまう to express completion or something done accidentally/regrettably.
に対して — Towards / In Contrast
Use 〜に対して to express a direction of action, attitude, or contrast.
によって — By / Depending On
Learn the versatile 〜によって expressing means, cause, or variation.
わけだ / わけではない
Express logical conclusion or partial negation with わけだ and わけではない.
にもかかわらず — Despite
Express contrast between expectation and reality with 〜にもかかわらず.
ばかりでなく — Not Only… But Also
Extend beyond one item with 〜ばかりでなく to mean 'not only X, but also Y'.
ことになっている — Supposed To
Use 〜ことになっている to state rules, arrangements, or what is supposed to happen.
ものの — Although / But
Express a concession with 〜ものの — 'although X, the reality is Y'.
さえ〜ば — If Only
Express the minimum sufficient condition with 〜さえ〜ば — 'as long as / if only'.
てからでないと — Not Until After
State that Y cannot happen until after X is done with 〜てからでないと.
とともに — Together With / As … So …
Use 〜とともに to express simultaneous change, accompaniment, or parallel events.
を余儀なくされる — Forced To
Express being compelled by circumstances with 〜を余儀なくされる.
に際して — On the Occasion Of
Use 〜に際して for formal contexts marking a special occasion or timing.
かねない — Might Just Happen
Warn about undesirable possibilities with 〜かねない — 'might / could very well'.
ざるを得ない — Cannot Help But
Express inevitability with 〜ざるを得ない — you have no choice but to do it.
にほかならない — Nothing But
Make strong emphatic assertions with 〜にほかならない — 'is nothing other than'.
ならいざ知らず — I Don't Know About X, But…
Contrast an extreme case with normal expectation using 〜ならいざ知らず.
を踏まえて — Based On / Taking Into Account
Use 〜を踏まえて to express that an action is grounded in prior facts or experience.
たりとも〜ない — Not Even One
Emphasize that not even the smallest amount is acceptable with 〜たりとも〜ない.
もさることながら — Not to Mention
Use 〜もさることながら to say 'X is great, but Y is also remarkable'.
N1 Review & Exam Strategy
Review key N1 patterns and learn strategies for the JLPT N1 exam.