JLPT

JLPT N3 Grammar List: 40 Essential Patterns with Examples

March 13, 202615 min read

The JLPT N3 grammar section is where many learners struggle. The patterns are more nuanced than N5/N4 — many look similar but have subtle differences in meaning and usage. This list covers the 40 highest-frequency patterns with example sentences and clear explanations of when to use each.

Each entry includes: the pattern, its core meaning, its grammatical function, and a complete example sentence with reading and translation.

JLPT N3 overview →N3 vocabulary list →How to pass N3 →

#1～のに— Despite / even though

FunctionExpresses unexpected contrast or disappointment. The expected result did not happen.

一生懸命勉強したのに、試験に落ちてしまった。Isshoukenmei benkyou shita noni, shiken ni ochite shimatta.Even though I studied hard, I ended up failing the exam.

#2～ところが— However / but (unexpected result)

FunctionIntroduces a result that contradicts what was expected or stated. Stronger contrast than しかし.

晴れると思っていた。ところが、雨が降り出した。Hareru to omotteita. Tokoroga, ame ga furidashita.I thought it would be sunny. However, it started to rain.

#3～てしまう— Ending up doing / doing regrettably

FunctionExpresses completion of an action — often with nuance of regret, irreversibility, or something unintended.

財布を忘れてしまった。Saifu wo wasurete shimatta.I ended up forgetting my wallet. / I forgot my wallet (regrettably).

#4～ておく— Do in advance / do and leave it that way

FunctionDo something in preparation for a future situation, or do something and leave the result as it is.

明日の会議のために資料を準備しておいた。Ashita no kaigi no tame ni shiryou wo junbi shite oita.I prepared the materials in advance for tomorrow's meeting.

#5～てくる— Do and come back / start to / has been doing (up to now)

FunctionThree uses: (1) do something and return; (2) gradual change that has been happening; (3) an action begins.

日本語が少しずつ上手になってきた。Nihongo ga sukoshi zutsu jouzu ni natte kita.My Japanese has been gradually getting better (up to now).

#6～ていく— Do and go / continue to (into the future)

FunctionCounterpart of ～てくる. Expresses change continuing into the future, or doing something and leaving.

地球の温度はこれからも上がっていくだろう。Chikyuu no ondo wa korekara mo agatte iku darou.The Earth's temperature will probably continue to rise from now on.

#7～ことがある— There are times when / sometimes

FunctionExpresses an occasional action or experience. Used with plain form verb.

バスに乗り遅れることがある。Basu ni nori okureru koto ga aru.There are times when I miss the bus.

#8～ことができる— Can / to be able to

FunctionExpresses ability or possibility. Interchangeable with potential form in most cases.

この機械を使うことができますか？Kono kikai wo tsukau koto ga dekimasu ka?Are you able to use this machine?

#9～ようになる— To reach a point where / to come to be able to

FunctionExpresses a change in ability or habit — something that wasn't possible before is now possible.

練習して、泳げるようになった。Renshuu shite, oyogeru you ni natta.I practiced and became able to swim.

#10～ようにする— To make sure to / to try to

FunctionExpresses a deliberate effort to do something or make something happen.

毎日野菜を食べるようにしている。Mainichi yasai wo taberu you ni shite iru.I make sure to eat vegetables every day.

#11～そうだ (hearsay)— I heard that / it is said that

FunctionReports information from an external source. Attaches to plain form.

明日は雪が降るそうだ。Ashita wa yuki ga furu sou da.I heard it will snow tomorrow.

#12～そうだ (appearance)— Looks like / seems like (from appearance)

FunctionIndicates a judgment based on direct visual evidence. Attaches to verb stem or adj stem.

この料理はおいしそうだ。Kono ryouri wa oishisou da.This dish looks delicious.

#13～らしい— Seems like / I've heard / typical of

FunctionThree uses: (1) hearsay from indirect evidence; (2) inference from clues; (3) characteristic behaviour.

彼は転職するらしい。Kare wa tenshoku suru rashii.It seems like he's going to change jobs.

#14～ようだ— It seems / it appears (from evidence)

FunctionExpresses conjecture based on objective evidence. More formal than ～みたいだ.

彼女は怒っているようだ。Kanojo wa okotte iru you da.It appears that she is angry.

#15～という— Called / known as / the idea that

FunctionUsed to quote, name, or define. ～という + noun = "the noun called/known as".

「桜」という言葉を知っていますか？"Sakura" to iu kotoba wo shitte imasu ka?Do you know the word called "sakura"?

#16～について— About / concerning / regarding

FunctionIntroduces a topic of discussion or information.

日本の文化について話しましょう。Nihon no bunka ni tsuite hanashimashou.Let's talk about Japanese culture.

#17～に対して— Towards / against / in contrast to

FunctionIndicates direction of an action or attitude, or sets up a contrast.

先生の意見に対して、学生は反論した。Sensei no iken ni taishite, gakusei wa hanron shita.The student argued against the teacher's opinion.

#18～によって— By / depending on / through / according to

FunctionIndicates agent (passive), means, cause, or variation depending on circumstances.

場合によって、答えが変わります。Baai ni yotte, kotae ga kawarimasu.The answer changes depending on the situation.

#19～にとって— For / from the perspective of

FunctionExpresses how something is perceived from a specific person's viewpoint.

私にとって、日本語は難しくない。Watashi ni totte, Nihongo wa muzukashiku nai.For me, Japanese is not difficult.

#20～を通じて / ～を通して— Through / via / throughout

FunctionExpresses a medium or channel. 通じて = throughout a period; 通して = via a medium.

経験を通じて、多くのことを学んだ。Keiken wo tsuujite, ooku no koto wo mananda.I learned many things through experience.

#21～をはじめ— Starting with / including / led by

FunctionLists one representative example and implies others follow.

東京をはじめ、多くの都市を訪れた。Toukyou wo hajime, ooku no toshi wo otozureta.I visited many cities, starting with Tokyo.

#22～だけでなく / ～ばかりでなく— Not only ... but also

FunctionExpresses that something is true of X, and additionally true of Y.

英語だけでなく、日本語も話せる。Eigo dake de naku, Nihongo mo hanaseru.Not only English, but I can also speak Japanese.

#23～さえ— Even / just

FunctionEmphasises an extreme case — if even X is true, then certainly others are.

子供でさえ、その問題が解けた。Kodomo de sae, sono mondai ga toketa.Even children could solve that problem.

#24～さえ～ば— If only / as long as

FunctionExpresses a single sufficient condition: if just X is fulfilled, everything will be fine.

お金さえあれば、何でも買える。Okane sae areba, nandemo kaeru.If I only had money, I could buy anything.

#25～としたら / ～にしたら— If it were / from the perspective of / assuming that

Function～としたら = hypothetical condition; ～にしたら = from the standpoint of someone.

宝くじに当たったとしたら、何をしますか？Takarakuji ni atatta to shitara, nani wo shimasu ka?If you were to win the lottery, what would you do?

#26～わけだ— That is why / it means that / no wonder

FunctionDraws a logical conclusion from the preceding information.

彼は10年間日本に住んでいた。日本語が上手なわけだ。Kare wa 10-nenkan Nihon ni sundeita. Nihongo ga jouzu na wake da.He lived in Japan for 10 years. No wonder his Japanese is good.

#27～わけではない— It doesn't mean that / it's not the case that

FunctionDenies a logical conclusion. Softens an absolute statement.

日本語が好きじゃないわけではない。ただ難しい。Nihongo ga suki ja nai wake de wa nai. Tada muzukashii.It's not that I don't like Japanese. It's just difficult.

#28～はずだ— Should be / is expected to / ought to

FunctionExpresses a confident expectation based on reasoning or knowledge.

彼は今頃、空港に着いているはずだ。Kare wa imogoro, kuukou ni tsuite iru hazu da.He should be at the airport by now.

#29～はずがない— There is no way that / cannot possibly

FunctionStrongly denies possibility based on logical reasoning.

彼がそんなことをするはずがない。Kare ga sonna koto wo suru hazu ga nai.There's no way he would do something like that.

#30～べきだ— Should / ought to (moral obligation)

FunctionExpresses a strong moral obligation or what is the right thing to do.

約束は守るべきだ。Yakusoku wa mamoru beki da.One should keep promises.

#31～べきではない— Should not / ought not to

FunctionNegative of ～べきだ. Expresses moral prohibition.

嘘をつくべきではない。Uso wo tsuku beki de wa nai.One should not tell lies.

#32～ために— In order to (purpose) / because of (cause)

FunctionTwo uses: (1) purpose with volitional verb; (2) cause/reason for a result.

健康のために、毎日走っている。Kenkou no tame ni, mainichi hashitte iru.I run every day for my health / in order to stay healthy.

#33～ように— So that / in order to (become able to)

FunctionExpresses a goal involving a change of state. Uses potential or negative verb forms.

忘れないように、メモした。Wasurenai you ni, memo shita.I took a note so that I wouldn't forget.

#34～ことにする— Decide to / make it a rule to

FunctionExpresses a personal decision or a rule the speaker sets for themselves.

毎朝ジョギングすることにした。Maiasa jogingu suru koto ni shita.I decided to go jogging every morning.

#35～ことになる— It turns out that / it has been decided (externally)

FunctionExpresses a result or decision that came about through circumstances, not personal choice.

来月から大阪に住むことになった。Raigetsu kara Oosaka ni sumu koto ni natta.It has been decided that I will live in Osaka from next month.

#36～ままで— While still in the state of / without changing

FunctionExpresses that an action continues while maintaining a certain state.

靴を履いたまま家に入った。Kutsu wo haita mama ie ni haitta.I entered the house while still wearing my shoes.

#37～ながら— While / as / although (contrast)

FunctionTwo uses: (1) simultaneous actions; (2) contradiction — "although/despite knowing that...".

音楽を聴きながら、勉強している。Ongaku wo kikinagara, benkyou shite iru.I am studying while listening to music.

#38～ても / ～でも— Even if / even though

FunctionExpresses a concessive condition — even if X, Y still holds.

雨が降っても、行きます。Ame ga futte mo, ikimasu.Even if it rains, I will go.

#39～かどうか— Whether or not

FunctionEmbeds a yes/no question as a noun clause.

彼が来るかどうか、まだわからない。Kare ga kuru ka dou ka, mada wakaranai.I still don't know whether or not he will come.

#40～にもかかわらず— Despite / in spite of / regardless of

FunctionFormal expression of contrast. More formal and literary than ～のに.

病気にもかかわらず、彼女は仕事を続けた。Byouki ni mo kakawarazu, kanojo wa shigoto wo tsuzuketa.Despite being ill, she continued to work.

How to Study These Patterns

Do not try to memorise all 40 patterns at once. Work through them in batches of 5, creating your own example sentences for each one. The act of generating a new sentence with the pattern is far more effective than reading the example provided here.

Start with the pairs — ～てくる vs ～ていく, ～ために vs ～ように, ～ことにする vs ～ことになる. Understanding contrasts is faster than studying in isolation.
Use context sentences — Write a sentence about your own life using each pattern. “I decided to study Japanese grammar every morning” is more memorable than the textbook example.
Read authentic N3 texts — NHK Web Easy articles and JLPT N3 practice tests contain these patterns in natural contexts. Spot them as you read.
Use ZISTICA MOJIIQ — Write sentences with each pattern and check them for correctness. Corrected mistakes are the most powerful learning moments.

Practice N3 grammar patterns with instant feedback

Write sentences using these patterns and ZISTICA MOJIIQ will check your grammar and naturalness in real time. Free to use.

Check My Japanese →N3 vocabulary →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grammar patterns are on the JLPT N3?

The JLPT N3 tests approximately 60–80 distinct grammar patterns, though the official JLPT specification does not publish an exact list. This article covers the 40 highest-frequency patterns that appear most often in N3 practice tests and authentic reading materials.

What is the difference between ～らしい and ～そうだ for hearsay?

～そうだ (hearsay) reports information heard directly from a source: 雨が降るそうだ (I heard it will rain). ～らしい suggests the speaker inferred something from indirect evidence or general impression: 彼は医者らしい (He seems to be a doctor, based on what I've gathered). ～らしい also carries a nuance of "typical of" or "characteristic of".

What is the difference between ～ために and ～ように?

～ために indicates purpose with an intentional, achievable goal using a volitional verb: 日本語を話すために勉強する (I study in order to speak Japanese). ～ように indicates a goal that involves a change of state, often using potential or negative forms: 日本語が話せるように勉強する (I study so that I can speak Japanese / so that I become able to).

What is the difference between ～ことにする and ～ことになる?

～ことにする expresses a personal decision made by the speaker: 毎日運動することにした (I decided to exercise every day). ～ことになる expresses a decision or outcome that came about through external forces or circumstances: 東京に転勤することになった (It was decided/came about that I would be transferred to Tokyo).