JLPT N3 Grammar Patterns
30 essential Japanese grammar patterns at the JLPT N3 (B1) level. Each page covers structure, meaning, and example sentences.
This section covers 30 N3 grammar patterns at the B1 level. Each page explains structure, meaning, usage notes, and example sentences in Japanese with English translation.
| Pattern (Japanese) | Page | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ばかりでなく | bakari-de-naku | not only; not just |
| だけでなく(も) | dake-de-naku-mo | not only X but also Y |
| どころか | dokoro-ka | far from; let alone |
| がちだ | gachi-da | tend to; prone to |
| ことなしに | koto-nashi-ni | without doing |
| ものがある | mono-ga-aru | there is something; there is an aspect |
| にほかならない | ni-hoka-naranai | nothing but; is exactly |
| において | ni-oite | in; at; regarding (formal) |
| に応じて | ni-ojite | according to; in response to |
| に従って | ni-shitagatte | according to; as; in accordance with |
| に対して | ni-taishite | toward; against; in contrast to |
| にとって | ni-totte | for; from the perspective of |
| につれて | ni-tsurete | as; in proportion to (gradual change) |
| によって | ni-yotte | by; due to; depending on |
| さえ〜ば | sae-ba | if only; as long as |
| 次第 | shidai | as soon as; depending on |
| たびに | tabi-ni | every time; whenever |
| ために | tame-ni | for the purpose of; because of |
| て以来 | te-irai | since (doing) |
| とたんに | to-tan-ni | just as; the moment |
| とともに | to-tomo-ni | together with; as |
| として | toshite | as; in the role of |
| うちに | uchi-ni | while; before it's too late |
| うる/えない | uru-enai | can/cannot possibly |
| わけではない | wake-de-wa-nai | it does not mean that; not necessarily |
| わけがない | wake-ga-nai | there is no way; impossible |
| わけにはいかない | wake-ni-wa-ikanai | cannot; must not |
| やすい/にくい | yasui-nikui | easy to / hard to do |
| ようになる | you-ni-naru | come to; reach the point where |
| ようにする | you-ni-suru | make an effort to; try to |
〜うちに — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜うちに (while, before it's too late) — the N3 temporal pattern expressing a window of opportunity.
〜がちだ — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜がちだ (tend to, be prone to) — the N3 pattern for expressing undesirable tendencies or negative dispositions.
〜ことなしに — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜ことなしに (without doing ~) — the formal N3 pattern expressing that one action is performed without the prerequisite action.
〜さえ〜ば — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜さえ〜ば (if only ~, as long as ~) — the N3 conditional expressing a single minimal sufficient condition.
〜たびに — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜たびに (every time, whenever) — the N3 pattern for expressing a consistent pattern of recurrence with emotional weight.
〜ため(に) — JLPT N3 Grammar
Master the dual use of 〜ため(に): purpose ('in order to') vs. cause ('because of / due to') — one of the most important distinctions at N3.
〜だけでなく〜も — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜だけでなく〜も (not only ~ but also ~) — the core N3 additive scope pattern for expanding beyond what was expected.
〜て以来 — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜て以来 (ever since ~) — the N3 pattern for expressing a persistent state that has continued uninterrupted since a past event.
〜として — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜として (as, in the capacity of) — the N3 pattern for expressing roles, identities, functions, and premises.
〜とたんに — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜とたんに (the moment ~, just as ~) — the N3 pattern for instantaneous, unexpected change immediately following an action.
〜とともに — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜とともに (together with / as ~ also changes) — the N3 pattern for expressing simultaneous co-occurrence and parallel change.
〜どころか — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜どころか (far from ~, let alone ~) — the N3 pattern for expressing strong unexpected contrast or reversal.
〜において/〜における — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn the formal conjunctive particle 〜において (in, at — domain marker) and its attributive form 〜における, essential for N3 reading and formal written Japanese.
〜につれて — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜につれて (as ~ changes, proportionally) — expressing gradual co-change where two things change together.
〜にとって — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜にとって (for, from the perspective of) — the N3 pattern for marking the evaluating perspective in value judgments and assessments.
〜にほかならない — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜にほかならない (nothing other than ~, precisely ~) — the N3 pattern for making emphatic, exclusive identifications or assertions.
〜によって/〜による — JLPT N3 Grammar
Master all four uses of 〜によって at N3: agent in passive, means/method, cause, and variation depending on condition.
〜に対して/〜に対する — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜に対して (toward, against, in contrast to) and its attributive form 〜に対する — key N3 patterns for expressing directed attitudes, responses, and contrasts.
〜に従って/〜に従い — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜に従って (in accordance with / as ~ progresses) — the N3 pattern for expressing compliance with rules and proportional change.
〜に応じて — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜に応じて (in response to, depending on, adapted to) — the N3 pattern for expressing deliberate, appropriate adaptation to conditions or needs.
〜ばかりでなく — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜ばかりでなく (not only, but also — formal/emphatic) — the formal variant of the additive scope pattern, common in written Japanese.
〜ものがある — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜ものがある (there is something ~ about it, it has a certain quality) — the N3 pattern for expressing an indefinable or deeply felt quality.
〜やすい/〜にくい — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜やすい (easy to do, prone to) and 〜にくい (hard/difficult to do) — N3 patterns describing inherent ease or difficulty of an action.
〜ようにする — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜ようにする (try to ensure, make a point of doing) — the N3 pattern for expressing sustained, deliberate effort to create or maintain a habit.
〜ようになる — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜ようになる (come to do, become able to) — the N3 pattern for expressing gradual change in ability, habit, or situation.
〜わけがない — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜わけがない (there's no way ~, it's impossible that ~) — the N3 pattern for expressing strong logical impossibility based on the speaker's conviction.
〜わけではない — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜わけではない (it doesn't mean that ~, it's not that ~) — the N3 partial negation pattern for correcting over-generalizations and assumptions.
〜わけにはいかない — JLPT N3 Grammar
Learn 〜わけにはいかない (can't possibly do ~, not in a position to ~) — expressing social, moral, or practical impossibility.