N4 is where Japanese gets interesting. You can express conditions, intentions, ability, and complex ideas. These ~130 patterns bridge the gap between “textbook beginner” and “can actually hold a conversation.”
Verb Forms You Must Know
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜られる (Potential) | Can do | 食べられる (can eat) |
| 〜れる/られる (Passive) | Is done to | 食べられる (is eaten) |
| 〜させる (Causative) | Make/let someone do | 食べさせる (make eat) |
| 〜よう (Volitional) | Let’s / I intend to | 食べよう (let’s eat) |
| 〜ば (Conditional) | If | 食べれば (if you eat) |
| 命令形 (Imperative) | Command | 食べろ！(Eat!) |
Key N4 Grammar Patterns
Conditionals (If/When)
〜たら = If/when (most versatile): 雨が降ったら、家にいます (If it rains, I’ll stay home)
〜ば = If (hypothetical): 安ければ、買います (If it’s cheap, I’ll buy it)
〜と = When (automatic result): ボタンを押すと、ドアが開く (Press the button and the door opens)
〜なら = If (topic-based): 日本に行くなら、京都がいい (If you’re going to Japan, Kyoto is good)
Giving & Receiving
〜てあげる = do for someone: 友達に教えてあげた (I taught my friend)
〜てもらう = have someone do for you: 先生に教えてもらった (I had the teacher teach me)
〜てくれる = someone does for you: 母が作ってくれた (My mother made it for me)
Expressing Intention & Plans
〜つもり = intend to: 来年日本に行くつもりです (I intend to go to Japan next year)
〜予定 = scheduled to: 3時に会議の予定です (Meeting scheduled at 3)
〜ようにする = make an effort to: 毎日勉強するようにしている (I try to study every day)
Quoting & Reporting
〜と言う = say that: 田中さんは来ると言った (Tanaka said he’ll come)
〜と思う = think that: 日本語は面白いと思う (I think Japanese is interesting)
〜そうだ = I heard that: 明日雨だそうだ (I heard it’ll rain tomorrow)
N4 Requires ~300 Kanji
N4 doubles the kanji count from N5. Without solid kanji knowledge, grammar patterns become impossible to read in practice. Kanjijo’s N4 deck covers all 300 kanji with:
- Mnemonic stories for memorable first encounters
- SRS scheduling that adapts to your pace
- Writing practice for deeper retention
- Vocabulary in context showing grammar patterns naturally
300 kanji, 1,500 vocabulary with SRS, mnemonics, and writing practice. Free on iOS.