Japanese grammar

Japanese grammar N2: 226 patterns on the JLPT framework

All 226 grammar patterns at N2 level (estimated on the JLPT framework) on GoMe. Open a pattern to see its structure, meaning, example sentences with furigana and common mistakes.

～にあたってon the occasion of; when starting or facing an important matter
～にさいしてon the occasion of doing something special or formal
～にさきだってahead of (a main event), doing something to prepare
～かねるfind it hard/unable to do (even if willing) — due to one's position, courtesy, or delicacy
～しだいas soon as (A is finished, B immediately follows)
～しだいでdepends on; is contingent on (the outcome changes according to N)
～うえでafter doing A, then B (A is a precondition); or: in terms of, when it comes to
～すえにafter a long process (of much deliberation/effort), finally arrived at a result
～あげくin the end (after much trouble/hesitation) ended up with an unfortunate result
～もののeven though…, (in fact, contrary to what one would expect)
～にもかかわらずdespite/in spite of (A), (B goes against what would be expected)
～はんめんon the other hand there is an opposite side (the same subject has two sides)
～いっぽうでon one hand… on the other hand…; while, whereas (two parallel or contrasting things)
～どころかfar from…, in fact the opposite is true; let alone… (reality is the opposite)
～ばかりかnot only… but also (adding another point in the same direction, usually escalating)
～だけでなくnot only… but also (adds more, neutral, broadly used)
～からしてjudging just from (one telling point) already…; even… (let alone more)
～にしてはfor…, (contrary to the standard/expectation of…) surprisingly…
～わりにconsidering (the level/condition), surprisingly… (a mismatch)
～いじょうはonce… then (naturally must/should…) — implies responsibility, resolve
～からにはsince (something has been decided/done), then one must/should… (implies resolve, obligation)
～かぎりas long as still…; within the scope/limit of…
～かぎりではas far as (I know/see/hear)…
～ないかぎりunless…; as long as… hasn't (happened)
～にかぎってonly in the case of… (specifically); precisely when/in the case that… (usually unluckily)
～にかぎらずnot limited to… (but extends further)
～をとわずregardless of…; without distinction of… (the same in every case)
～にかかわらずregardless of…; no matter… (the result doesn't change)
～におうじてaccording to…; in response to… (adjusting to fit)
～にもとづいてbased on…; grounded on… (as a foundation)
～をもとにbased on…; using… as the foundation/material (to create something else)
～にそってalong (a road/stream); in keeping with (a policy, a wish)
～にともなってaccompanying; along with (as A changes, B changes/happens accordingly)
～につれてthe more… the more…; along with (a gradual, natural change)
～にくらべてcompared with…
～にたいしてtoward… (the object); on the other hand (a contrast)
～にくわえてin addition to that; besides…, also…
～にかわってin place of…; on behalf of… (substituting or representing)
～にこたえてin response to (an expectation, request, or call)
～にはんしてcontrary to (an expectation, hope, or regulation)
～ばいいのにif only…; it would be better if…, but (regret)
～にあたるcorresponds to; falls exactly on
～以外のother than; except for
～と言っても～even though one says…, in reality
ろくに～ないnot… properly/enough
～せいかperhaps because of (some negative cause)
～に越したことはないnothing is better than…; it's best to…
～くせにeven though; and yet (expressing criticism)
～ゆえにbecause of; owing to (written style)
～がてらdoing something while also, along the way, doing something else
～かけてはwhen it comes to that particular field, especially
～かねないthere is a risk of…; might well (lead to a bad result)
～からなるis made up of, consists of
～ないで済むgets by without having to…; avoids having to
～わけにはいかないcan't do it because of duty/circumstances
～ないわけにはいかないcan't not do it; is obliged to
～ような気がするfeel as if…; it seems like…
いったん～ばonce… then
～でいいですit's fine to go with that; that will do
～ではないだろうかisn't it…, perhaps; I wonder if…
～より仕方がないthere's no choice but to…
～ものですからbecause, you see… (explaining/making an excuse)
～を～にまかせるleaving… (up to someone/something)
～さしつかえないit's fine; no problem, no inconvenience
～かたわらdo a side job alongside one's main job
～ごとしlike; similar to (written style)
～たまらないunbearably…; extremely
～にのぼるamounts to; reaches as many/high as
A、あるいは BA or B (presenting a choice; written style)
A。おまけに B。and on top of that… (adds a further, usually unwelcome, fact)
A。さて、B。now then…; well then… (shifting to the main topic)
A。しかも B。moreover, and what's more… (emphasis)
A。したがって B。therefore; consequently (logical conclusion, written style)
A、すなわち Bthat is; to put it precisely (restating)
A。すると B。and then…; upon doing so…
A。そういえば B。come to think of it…
A。そこで B。given that situation, (I/we) therefore…
A。それが B。that's exactly it…; (or) but as it turned out…
A。それで B。so; that's why (stating a result)
A。それでも B。even so, still…; even then…
A。それなのに B。and yet…; even so (expressing dissatisfaction)
A。それなら B。if that's the case, then…
A。それはそうと B。anyway, setting that aside…; by the way…
A。だが B。but; however (written style)
A。ただ、B。the only thing is…; except that…
A。ただし B。however, on the condition that…
A。だって B（から）。that's because… (making an excuse or pushing back)
A。ちなみに B。incidentally; by the way, come to mention it
A。ということは B。so that means…; in other words…
A。というのは B からだ。the reason (A) is because B
A。なお、B。additionally; note that (an added remark)
A。もっとも、B。that said (adding a precise qualification)
A。要するに B。in short…
～につきdue to…; per…; regarding… (formal written style)
～にてat…; by means of… (a formal version of で)
～のことだからbecause it's just like… (one can guess, knowing their character)
～をはじめstarting with…, and others as well
～をはじめとしてtaking… as the leading example (full form)
～をはじめとする＋N…, led by… (a modifying-clause form: N such as, headed by)
～をめぐってrevolving around…; concerning… (usually a dispute)
～をめぐる＋NN revolving around… (a modifying-clause form)
～ことなくwithout ever…; not once… (written style)
～ないことには～ないunless… first, cannot…
～あまり（に）because of too much… (leading to an unusual result)
～うちにwhile still…; taking the chance while…
～がい（がある）worth doing…; worth the effort of…
～かいがあってit was worth it…; thanks to the effort…
～かいもなくin vain…; all for nothing
～かける／～かけの＋Ndoing something halfway; just starting to… (left unfinished)
～がちtends to be…; prone to… (a tendency, usually negative)
～か～ないかのうちにno sooner had… than…
（まるで）～かのようだas if… (though in fact it isn't)
～（よ）うか～まいかwhether to… or not… (hesitating)
～からこそprecisely because…, that's exactly why…
～からすると／～からすればjudging from…; based on… one can infer
～からといって～ないjust because… doesn't mean…
～から～にかけて (range)all the way from… to… (range with a fuzzy boundary)
～から見ると／～から見ればlooking at it from…; judging by…
～から言うと／～から言ってspeaking in terms of…; from the standpoint of… (stating the angle of evaluation)
～ことからfrom the fact that… (inferring or resulting from)
～ことに（は）remarkably, …! (opens with an emotional reaction)
～ことになっている (rule)it is established practice/regulation that…
～さえ～ば (sufficient condition)as long as just… (a sufficient condition)
～ざるを得ないhave no choice but to…; cannot avoid…
～ずにはいられないcannot help but…; cannot resist…
～そうにないdoesn't look like it will…; unlikely to…
～たかと思ったらjust as… than, no sooner had…
～たきりever since… (and nothing has been seen/heard since)
～だけあってno wonder…, that's exactly why… (living up to its reputation)
～だけましだat least there's the small mercy that…, better than…
～たところupon doing A, (it turned out that) B
～たとたんthe moment… then immediately…
～だらけfull of…; nothing but… (negative)
～っこないthere's no way…; no chance that…
～つつwhile…; even though… still (written style)
～つつあるis gradually…; is in the process of…
～っぱなしleaving something as is…; keep on… (neglected)
～っぽいseems like…; tends to be… (a leaning)
～てはいられないcan't keep on…
～てかなわないcan't stand…; is fed up with…
～てからでないと～ないcan't… until first having done…
～てこそonly by (doing)… does one truly…
～てしょうがない／～でしょうがないjust so much…; unbearably (casual speech)
～てならないcan't help feeling… (written style)
～てばかりはいられないcan't just keep on…
～ではないか／～じゃないかisn't it…? (emphasis, inviting agreement)
～てはならないmust not…; is not allowed to… (a formal prohibition)
～てまでto the point of even…; sacrificing… in order to
～て当然だit's only natural that…
～というものだthat's what it truly means to be…; that's the real deal
どうにか～ないものかisn't there some way to…? (a hopeful wish)
～とおり（に）exactly as…; in accordance with…
～とか～とかthings like… and… (listing examples)
～ところだ (action stage)about to/in the middle of/just finished… (stating a stage of an action)
～どころではないis in no position to…; this is hardly the time for…
～としたらsupposing that…, then
～としてもeven if (supposing)…
～とともにtogether with…; at the same time as…
～とは限らないis not necessarily…; isn't always…
～ないことはないit's not that one can't…; it's still possible to…
～ないこともないit's not that one can't, either…, but…
～ないではいられないcan't help but…; can't resist…
～ながら（も）even though…, still… (a concessive turn)
～にあたり／～にあたってon the occasion of…; when beginning…
～においてin…; at…; regarding… (written style)
～にしたがってaccording to…; the more… the more…
～にしたら／～にすればfrom the standpoint of…; as far as… is concerned
～にしろ～にしろwhether it be… or…, either way
～につけ～につけwhichever it is… or…; whenever… then also…
～にほかならないis nothing other than…; is precisely…
～により／～によってdue to…; by means of…; depending on… (written style)
～にわたって／～にわたりthroughout…; spanning… (a wide range)
～に先立ち／～に先立ってbefore… (preparing for a major event)
～に基づいてbased on…; grounded on…
～に決まっているis bound to be…; of course it is…
～に過ぎないis nothing more than…
～に関わるrelates to…; affects… (a matter of importance)
～に限りonly in the case of…; limited to…
～ねばならないmust…; is obliged to… (archaic written style)
～のみならず～もnot only… but also…
～のももっともだit's only natural that… (showing understanding)
～の上ではon paper/in theory, judging by…
～の下でunder (someone's guidance); under the condition of…
～ばかりだnothing but…; increasingly… (a one-way trend)
～ばかりにjust because of… (which led to a bad outcome)
～ば～というものでもないjust doing… doesn't necessarily mean that…
～はともかく（として）setting… aside for now; leaving… aside, then
～はまだしも… is still just about acceptable, but…
～はもとよりneedless to say…, and even… as well (written style)
～は抜きにしてleaving… out of it; excluding…
～べきではないshould not…; is not to be allowed to…
～まいsurely won't…; definitely won't… (written style)
～までにby…, at the latest; no later than… (a deadline)
～ままにexactly as; left to the mercy of…
～もかまわずwithout caring about…; heedless of…
～ものかthere's no way…!; not a chance…
～ものがあるthere really is a certain quality of…; there's something that…
～ものだis supposed to be…; ought to be… (a matter of common sense)
～ものだからthe thing is… (giving an excuse)
～ものではないshould not…; is not something one ought to do
～ものならif only it were possible to… (a wish unlikely to come true)
～も～ば～も～both… and…; not only… but also…
～も同然だis practically the same as…; may as well be…
～やら～やらwhat with… and… (a jumble of many things)
～ようがないthere's no way to…
～よりほかないthere's nothing to do but…; have no choice but to…
～わけがないthere's no way…; no chance that…
～わけだno wonder…; so that's why… (a reasonable conclusion)
～わけではないdoesn't necessarily mean…; isn't necessarily the case that…
～をきっかけに（して）taking… as an opportunity/trigger
～を～としてtaking… as…; regarding… as…
～を中心に（して）centered on…; mainly around…
～を込めてputting one's whole (feeling) into…
～を通じてthrough…; throughout…
～を頼りに（して）relying on…; depending on…
～一方だjust keeps getting more and more…; only ever… (a one-way trend)
～上にnot only… but also…
～上はnow that (something has been done), (one must see it through)
～以来ever since…; and it's still the same to this day
～切る／～切れるdo (something) completely, to the very end
～向けmeant for…; aimed at… (the target audience)
～恐れがあるthere's a risk of…; I'm afraid that…
～折（に）はwhenever there's an occasion for…; on the occasion of… (formal)
～末（に）after… (going on for a long time), finally…
～気味a bit…; somewhat… (a slight tendency)
～際（に）when…; on the occasion of… (formal)