N5 · 20 lessons · Lessons 1–2 free

From zero to N5: Japanese sentence frames

Twenty lessons, from “A is B” to joining two sentences: one family of patterns each, how it changes and where learners slip, with practice checked as you go.

Lessons

  1. Noun sentences: saying “A is B”わたしは学生がくせいです。Say “A is B” with 「は」 and 「です」, turn it into a negative and a question, then introduce yourself in three sentences.Free
  2. こそあど: this, that, that over there, whichこれは何なんですか。Pick 「これ・それ・あれ」 by who is nearer, use 「この」 + noun, 「ここ・そこ・あそこ」 for places and the polite 「こちら」, then ask what and where in a shop.Free
  3. 「の」: my book, a Japanese book, my friend Tanakaこれはわたしの本ほんです。Join two nouns with 「の」 to say whose, what kind and from where; learn the short form 「わたしのです」; and see where 「の」 does not go.Paid
  4. Numbers and shopping: from 0 to 99,999これをふたつください。Read numbers from 0 to 99,999 with their sound changes, ask prices with 「いくらですか」, and buy and order with 「〜をください」 and 「ひとつ、ふたつ」.Paid
  5. Time and dates: what time, what day, what date今いま、何時なんじですか。Say the time, the day of the week and the date, give start and end times with 「〜から〜まで」, and know which time words take 「に」 and which don’t.Paid
  6. The masu form: three verb groups and four forms毎朝まいあさ、コーヒーを飲のみます。Sort verbs into three groups, turn the dictionary form into the masu form, and use 「ます・ません・ました・ませんでした」 for habits, plans and the past.Paid
  7. Action particles: を, で, に, へ, と友ともだちと電車でんしゃで京都きょうとへ行いきます。Say what, where, with what, to where and with whom using 「を」「で」「に」「へ」「と」, learn pairings like 「乗のる」 and 「降おりる」, and combine particles.Paid
  8. Existence: 「あります」 and 「います」机つくえの上うえにねこがいます。「あります」 for things, 「います」 for people and animals; two word orders, position words, lists with 「や」「と」, and family size with 「ひとり」「ふたり」.Paid
  9. I-adjectives: saying what something is likeこの店みせのラーメンはおいしかったです。Describe things, weather and people with i-adjectives, make the polite negative and past, learn irregular 「いい」, and say how much with 「とても」「あまり」.Paid
  10. Na-adjectives: 「静しずかな町まち」京都きょうとはきれいな町まちです。Na-adjectives change like nouns and take 「な」 before a noun. Spot traps like 「きれい」 and 「きらい」, and say what you like or are good at with 「が」.Paid
  11. Question words: what, who, where, why週末しゅうまつ、どこかへ行いきましたか。Ask who, what, where, when, how much and why; question-word subjects take 「が」; 「か」 makes “some-”, 「も」 + negative “no-”; 「AかB」 offers a choice.Paid
  12. Inviting and suggesting: 「〜ませんか」「〜ましょう」一緒いっしょに昼ひるごはんを食たべませんか。Invite with 「〜ませんか」, say “let’s” with 「〜ましょう」, offer or plan with 「〜ましょうか」, accept or decline, and go to do things with 「〜に行いきます」.Paid
  13. Wanting: 「〜がほしいです」 and 「〜たいです」夏休なつやすみに北海道ほっかいどうへ行いきたいです。「〜がほしいです」 for things, 「〜たいです」 for actions; both change like i-adjectives. Know when not to use them: for others, with seniors, when ordering.Paid
  14. Making the te form: five groups and one exceptionちょっと待まって。The te form underlies many later patterns. Ichidan verbs swap 「る」 for 「て」, godan verbs fall into five groups by ending, and 「行いく」 is the exception.Paid
  15. Please and may I: 「〜てください」「〜てもいいですか」ここで写真しゃしんをとってもいいですか。Use the te form to ask people to do things, ask whether you may, and say what isn’t allowed; then learn enough of the nai form to say “please don’t …”.Paid
  16. 「〜ています」: doing now, and the resulting state今いま、昼ひるご飯はんを食たべています。Use 「〜ています」 for actions in progress, states left after an action, jobs and habits, and say what you haven’t done yet with 「まだ〜ていません」.Paid
  17. The plain form: talking to friends, writing a diary昨日きのうの映画えいが、おもしろかった？Learn the plain forms of verbs, adjectives and nouns (present, negative, past, past negative), whom to use the plain style with, and how to switch styles.Paid
  18. Experience: 「〜たことがあります」「〜たり〜たりします」着物きものを着きたことがありますか。Talk about life experiences with the ta form plus 「ことがあります」, list things you did with 「〜たり〜たりします」, and tell both apart from 「〜ました」.Paid
  19. Comparisons: 「より」, 「のほうが」, 「いちばん」コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃと、どちらが好すきですか。Compare two things with 「より」 and 「のほうが」, say what is the most … with 「の中なかで〜がいちばん」, and learn to say “about the same”.Paid
  20. Linking two things: order, time, reasons and contrast家いえに帰かえってから、晩ばんご飯はんを作つくります。Say order and time with 「て」「てから」「まえに」「あとで」「とき」, reasons with 「から」, contrast with 「が」; link descriptions with 「くて」「で」.Paid