Can't remember which form 行きたい, 行ったら and 行きやすい each attach to? The table is split by the 8 attachment slots: first the form in each word class with notes, then the JLPT patterns that attach to it; tap an example to hear it.
Audio failed to load; try again later. The table is unaffected.
nai-form42
This form takes ない, ず, なければ, （ら）れる, （さ）せる.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書か
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べ
- Suru (Type 3)し（ない）／せ（ず）／さ（せる）
- Kuru (Type 3)こ
- i-adjective高く（ない）
- na-adjective静かで（は）
- noun学生で（は）
This slot holds only the elements that attach directly to the irrealis stem (ない, ず, れる, せる). Once it becomes a full ない form, it is a plain form in its own right — patterns like 「〜ないうちに」 and 「〜ないようにする」 belong in the plain-form slot, not here. Suru-verbs split three ways: し ない／せ ず／さ せる; 「気にせずに」 is very common, and writing it as 「気にしずに」 is a classic mistake.
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜ない | 行かない／美味しくない | not...; expresses negationNa-adjectives and nouns usually use ではない or じゃない. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 |
| 〜なかった | past negativeな-adjectives and nouns usually take では／じゃなかった. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| ないでください | please don't ... | V | N5 | |
| なくちゃ | have to ... (colloquial)Na-adjectives and nouns also take じゃなくちゃ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| ほうがいい | you'd better...When giving advice, the verb usually takes the た form or the ない form. | V | N5 | |
| 〜たほうがいい | had better..., it'd be better to...For negative advice, use ないほうがいい; don't attach ほうがいい directly to the irrealis form. | V | N4 | |
| 〜ないほうがいい | had better not...The counterpart of たほうがいい, used to advise against doing something. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ございます | formal, polite "is"For i-adjectives, the く often changes to う. | い-adj | N4 | |
| させる | causative, make/have ... doGodan verbs take せる, ichidan verbs take させる — don't mix them up. | V | N4 | |
| なくてはいけない / なくてはならない | must, have toFor i-adjectives, use 「高くなくては～」; for na-adjectives and nouns, use 「でなくては～」. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| なくてもいい | it's okay not to...; don't have toDon't attach くてもいい directly to the verb. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| なければいけない / なければならない | must, have toAttach to the negative stem, not the continuative form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| まま | leaving something as isThe verb takes the た or ない form, generally not the dictionary form. | V | N4 | |
| 〜ないうちに | before ... (while there's still time) | V | N3 | |
| 〜ないことには | unless ...The clause that follows is usually negative or expresses a negative result. | V | N3 | |
| ことだ | it's best to...; you should... | V | N3 | |
| ずに | without doing ...する always takes せずに, not しずに. | V | N3 | |
| ずにはいられない | can't help but...; simply must...With する, use せず, not しず. | V | N3 | |
| たって | even if ... stillColloquial; equivalent to ても. | い-adj | N3 | |
| てもかまわない / てもかまいません | it's fine even if ...The negative form なくても is extremely common, so don't miss it. | V | N3 | |
| ないことはない | not impossible; could ... if need beThe double negative expresses a partial affirmation, not a complete negation. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ないで | without doing ...; please don'tThis is the ない form plus で, not formed by dropping ない and then adding で. | V | N3 | |
| ないと | if not... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| 〜なくもない | not that one doesn't... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ざるを得ない | have no choice but to, be forced toIrregular: くる becomes こざるを得ない. | V | N2 | |
| ずに済む | get by without doing... | V | N2 | |
| とも | even if ... stillNa-adjectives and nouns take であろうとも. であれ is a different pattern. | い-adj | N2 | |
| ないではいられない | can't help but... | V | N2 | |
| なくはない | still somewhat ...; kind of ...Na-adjectives and nouns often take the form でなくはない. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| に限る | it's best to...; nothing beats...When it means "had better," it attaches to the dictionary form of a verb or to a noun. | V | N2 | |
| ねばならない | must, have toA literary remnant, equivalent to なければならない. | V | N2 | |
| 限り | as long as..., unless...The ta-form most often appears in 「～限りでは」, which marks the scope of a statement. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 〜ないわけにはいかない | have no choice but to... / must... | V | N1 | |
| ずじまい | ended up never doing | V | N1 | |
| ないではおかない / ずにはおかない | can't help but... / bound to... | V | N1 | |
| ないではすまない / ずにはすまない | can't get away without doing itOnly attaches to verbs. For する, use せずには. | V | N1 | |
| ないとも限らない | can't rule out ...; might well ... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ないまでも | even if not..., at least...For nouns and な-adjectives, use ではないまでも. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ないものか | can't ...? / if only ... | V | N1 | |
| ないものでもない | not out of the question; might just ... | V | N1 | |
| んがため | in order to...Attaches to verbs only; suru-verbs must use せ. | V | N1 | |
| んばかりに | as if about to...For する, use せんばかり. The preceding verb takes the irrealis form. | V | N1 |
masu-form, continuative form112
Takes ます, たい, ながら, やすい, にくい, すぎる, そう (appearance), なさい, and 方; another branch takes なる and する.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書き
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べ
- Suru (Type 3)し
- Kuru (Type 3)き
- i-adjective高（すぎる）／高く（なる）
- na-adjective静か（すぎる）／静かに（なる）
- noun学生に（なる）
One slot, two shapes: verbs take the ます form, adjectives take the stem. すぎる, そう (appearance), さ, and がる all attach here — which is why 行き過ぎ and 高すぎ sit side by side; ます itself attaches only to verbs. Adjectives and nouns have a separate branch of this form (高く, 静かに, 学生に) reserved for なる and する: 高くなる, 静かにする, 学生になる.
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜ますか | polite question | V | N5 | |
| か〜か | whether ... or ...Na-adjectives usually take the stem; negative plain forms also attach. | な-adj | N5 | |
| たい | want to do ... | V | N5 | |
| だ / です | is ... (copula)In general, use only です after i-adjectives, not だ. | な-adjN | N5 | |
| だろう | probably ... (conjecture)Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly, so don't add だ again. | な-adjN | N5 | |
| でしょう | probably; I supposeDrop だ from na-adjectives and nouns before attaching でしょう. | な-adj | N5 | |
| なる | become; come to beVerbs can't attach directly; use ようになる instead. | い-adjな-adj | N5 | |
| にいく | go/come/return to do sthOnly action nouns (nouns that name an activity, like 買い物 or 散歩) can be used. | VN | N5 | |
| ましょうか | shall we...? shall I...?Used to make a suggestion or to offer help. | V | N5 | |
| ませんか | won't you...? (invitation)Politely invites the listener to do something together. | V | N5 | |
| よ | 行くよ／面白いよ | informing the listener, emphasisIn polite speech, よ attaches after です／ます; in casual speech, だ can be dropped after na-adjectives and nouns. | な-adj | N5 |
| より〜ほうが | more ... than ...Before ほうが, add の after nouns and な after な-adjectives. | な-adj | N5 | |
| 方 | way of doing ... | V | N5 | |
| かしら | wondering to oneself, used mainly by womenWith nouns and な-adjectives, だ is often dropped; だれかしら and the like are a separate usage. | な-adj | N4 | |
| かどうか | whether or not...For na-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted. | な-adj | N4 | |
| がる | seem to... (third person)Describes other people's feelings and desires; do not use it about yourself. | い-adjな-adj | N4 | |
| じゃないか | isn't it?; let's...The volitional form makes it an invitation. After noun and na-adjective stems, attach it directly without だ. | な-adj | N4 | |
| すぎる | too much; excessively | Vい-adjな-adj | N4 | |
| そうに / そうな | 楽しそうに／おいしそうな | looks like; seemsNote the irregular forms: いい becomes よさそう, and ない becomes なさそう. | Vい-adjな-adj | N4 |
| たがる | want to ... (third person) | V | N4 | |
| づらい | hard to ..., difficult to do | V | N4 | |
| でございます | very formal copula (= です)I-adjectives do not attach; use 〜うございます instead. | な-adjN | N4 | |
| ではないか | isn't it ...? (confirmation, surprise)The の is often optional. In spoken Japanese, it usually appears as じゃないか. | な-adj | N4 | |
| なさい | do... (command) | V | N4 | |
| なさる | honorific form of するThis is the honorific form of する. The polite form is なさいます. | V | N4 | |
| なら | if...Drop だ after nouns and な-adjectives; the た form can also be used. | な-adj | N4 | |
| にくい | hard to..., difficult to... | V | N4 | |
| みたいだ | seems like; just like ...No の after nouns and no な after な-adjectives (unlike ようだ). | な-adjN | N4 | |
| みたいに/みたいな | like ...Na-adjectives use the stem without な; nouns attach directly. | な-adj | N4 | |
| やすい | easy to ...; prone to ... | V | N4 | |
| らしい | hearsay; seems like...For hearsay, use the plain form; when it means 'typical', use a noun or a stem. | な-adjN | N4 | |
| 出す | suddenly start doing... | V | N4 | |
| 始める | start doing... | V | N4 | |
| 終わる | finish doing; complete an action | V | N4 | |
| 続ける | keep doing... | V | N4 | |
| 〜こそ〜が | granted... but...こそ goes between the emphasized item and the predicate; the すれ／あれ forms sound rather stiff. | Vい-adj | N3 | |
| 〜つつも | while ..., still ... | V | N3 | |
| あまり | because of too much ..., ...い-adjectives must first add さ to become nouns before taking の. | い-adj | N3 | |
| かける | half-done; almostOften used attributively, as in 読みかけの本. | V | N3 | |
| か何か | ...or something; or the likeNouns and na-adjectives attach directly, without adding だ. | な-adj | N3 | |
| がたい | difficult to... | V | N3 | |
| がち | often; tends to...Attaches to the stem form, not the dictionary form. Often carries a negative nuance. | VN | N3 | |
| きる | finish doing, do completely | V | N3 | |
| こそすれ | may well ..., but certainly not ... | VN | N3 | |
| さえ | evenでさえ emphasizes an extreme case. The verb stem + さえする form is also common. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| そうもない | shows no sign of happening, unlikelyAlso written そうにない; attaches only to verbs. | V | N3 | |
| たって | even if ... stillColloquial; equivalent to ても. | な-adj | N3 | |
| たて | freshly ..., fresh | V | N3 | |
| だけど | but, howeverAfter verbs and i-adjectives, use けど without adding だ. | な-adjN | N3 | |
| っぱなし | leaving it as is, unattended | V | N3 | |
| っぽい | looks like..., tends to...Na-adjectives generally don't take っぽい; attach it to nouns or stems. | Vい-adjN | N3 | |
| というより | not so much ... as ...The だ is often dropped after な-adjectives and nouns. | な-adj | N3 | |
| とは限らない | not necessarily, not alwaysFor な-adjectives and nouns, だ can often be omitted. Do not use the attributive form. | な-adj | N3 | |
| どころか | far from..., on the contraryな-adjectives take the stem form. Don't add だ after nouns. | な-adj | N3 | |
| ながら / いながら / ながらも | while ..., althoughFor い-adjectives, use the plain form, not the く-form. | Vな-adjN | N3 | |
| にしては | for ..., surprisinglyNa-adjectives take the stem, without な. Don't use the te-form. | な-adj | N3 | |
| に加えて | in addition to..., what's moreNouns usually attach directly, as in 風に加えて. Don't confuse the のに in 食べるのに加えて with the concessive のに ('even though'). | な-adj | N3 | |
| に違いない | must be..., no doubtNa-adjectives and nouns attach directly, without だ. | な-adjN | N3 | |
| べき | should ... (obligation)For the negative, use べきではない. Don't attach it to the ta-form. | な-adjN | N3 | |
| んだって | I heard that... | な-adj | N3 | |
| 切れない | can't finish it allA suffix from the potential form 切れる, expressing that you can't finish doing something. | V | N3 | |
| 気味 | 疲れ気味／風邪気味 | a slight tendency to... | VN | N3 |
| 直す | do over, correct | V | N3 | |
| かねない | might well (do sth bad) | V | N2 | |
| かねる | hard to..., unable to...Often used to politely decline a request. | V | N2 | |
| げ | seeming..., looking...For verbs, the form is ...たげ (たい with the い dropped), not the た form. | い-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せめて | at least; if nothing elseOften used with expressions of desire or request such as たい or てほしい. | Vい-adjな-adj | N2 | |
| たまえ | command to subordinates | V | N2 | |
| だの〜だの | listing complaints and the likeTypically used in pairs, as in 「〜だの〜だの」. | な-adjN | N2 | |
| っこない | there's no way that... | V | N2 | |
| つ〜つ | alternating opposite actionsUse only pairs of opposite or contrasting verbs, never a single verb on its own. | V | N2 | |
| つつ | while ...ing, although ... | V | N2 | |
| つつある | be gradually ...ing | V | N2 | |
| というか | or should I say, more preciselyNouns and na-adjectives usually use the stem, but だ and だった are also acceptable. | な-adjN | N2 | |
| というものだ | that's what ... really is, it's only natural that... | な-adjN | N2 | |
| と同時に | at the same time as ...; both ... and ...When expressing 'both ... and ...', you must use である. | な-adj | N2 | |
| どころではない | can't even think of...; hardly the time for itDon't add だ after nouns or na-adjectives. The te-form can't be used with this pattern. | な-adj | N2 | |
| にかかわらず | regardless of ...Verbs often appear in pairs, one affirmative and one negative. | な-adj | N2 | |
| にしても | even if / even thoughNouns and な-adjectives can attach directly, and である is often added as well. | な-adjN | N2 | |
| にしろ / にせよ | even if...; whether... or...Nouns and な-adjectives often attach directly, and である is common in formal style. | な-adj | N2 | |
| にもかかわらず | despite ... stillNouns usually attach directly, with or without である. | な-adj | N2 | |
| に決まっている | it's certain that..., bound to...Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly in the non-past form, without adding だ or な. | な-adjN | N2 | |
| に相違ない | must be..., no doubtNouns can also attach directly. Prefer である over だ. | な-adj | N2 | |
| に過ぎない | nothing more than...な-adjectives must use the stem + である; nouns attach directly, without だ. | な-adj | N2 | |
| のみか | not only... but also...Written style, used much like ばかりか. | な-adj | N2 | |
| まい | don't intend to..., probably won't...Godan verbs take only the plain form; 書かまい is not used. | V | N2 | |
| ようがない / ようもない | no way to...Only action nouns can be used, in the form のしようがない. | V | N2 | |
| 得ない | impossible; cannot...得る can also be read as うる. The negative form is always えない. | V | N2 | |
| 得る | it is possible to...Both readings うる and える are acceptable, though written Japanese favors うる. | V | N2 | |
| 抜く | see through to the endA compound verb that expresses seeing an action through to the end. | V | N2 | |
| 次第 | as soon as ...; depends on ... | V | N2 | |
| 〜やら〜やら | both ... and ...The enumeration carries a nuance of disorder or mixed feelings. | な-adj | N1 | |
| いかにも | typically; true to typeOften pairs with らしい or そうだ to emphasize typical traits. | Vい-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| か否か | whether or not ... (written)With な-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted, or である is used instead. | な-adj | N1 | |
| がてら | while doing ..., taking the chance to ...Usually attaches to verbal nouns. Does not attach to the ta form. | V | N1 | |
| くらいなら | rather than ..., would rather ...Na-adjectives and nouns must take である; do not attach くらいなら directly to them. | な-adj | N1 | |
| ではあるまいか | could it not be...?Na-adjectives and nouns take では directly, and のでは is also possible. | な-adjN | N1 | |
| とあって | precisely because...For nouns and な-adjectives, だ is usually not added after the stem. | な-adj | N1 | |
| とあれば | if it's the case that...Nouns usually attach directly, and である is not required. | な-adj | N1 | |
| というか〜というか | should I say ... or ...Nouns and な-adjectives take the stem form; use the same form in both halves. | な-adjN | N1 | |
| というわけではない | it's not that...After na-adjectives and nouns, だ can often be omitted. | な-adj | N1 | |
| といったらない | ... beyond words; incredibly ... | な-adjN | N1 | |
| ときている | on top of being... (so of course)Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly, with no だ. | な-adjN | N1 | |
| とされる | is considered to be...The だ after nouns and な-adjectives is often dropped. | な-adj | N1 | |
| とは | to think that... (expresses surprise)With nouns and な-adjectives, だ can often be omitted. The phrase can stand alone as a complete sentence. | な-adj | N1 | |
| ながらに / ながらの | in (tears); same as it has always beenThis pattern is not very productive and mostly appears in fixed expressions. 涙 is a noun. | V | N1 | |
| にしたって | even if ... stillNa-adjectives and nouns take the stem form, without だ. | な-adjN | N1 | |
| にもほどがある | there's a limit to..., ... is going too farNouns are the most common thing to attach to this pattern. It criticizes something as excessive or outrageous. | な-adj | N1 | |
| ぶり | 5年ぶり／話しぶり | after an interval of...; the way one...For the interval sense, ぶり mostly attaches to time words. For the manner sense, it attaches to a verb stem or a noun. | VN | N1 |
| もしないで | without even doing ...With suru verbs, this pattern often appears as noun + もしないで. | V | N1 | |
| やしない | absolutely never... (strong negation) | V | N1 | |
| 極まる・極まりない | extremely ... (often negative)It does not attach to i-adjectives or verbs; nouns attach directly. | な-adjN | N1 |
te-form64
Use it with ください, いる, ある, おく, しまう, みる, から, もいい, and はいけない.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書いて
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べて
- Suru (Type 3)して
- Kuru (Type 3)きて
- i-adjective高くて
- na-adjective静かで
- noun学生で
For na-adjectives and nouns, the te-form and the negative stem are both で, but they work differently: 静かではない negates, while 静かで、便利だ links clauses.
Godan sound changes
| Ending | て-form | た-form | e.g. |
|---|---|---|---|
| く・ぐ | いて・いで | いた・いだ | 書いて・泳いで |
| う・つ・る | って | った | 買って・待って・帰って |
| ぬ・ぶ・む | んで | んだ | 死んで・遊んで・飲んで |
| す | して | した | 話して |
| 行く | 行って | 行った | 学校へ行って行く is the only godan exception: by the く rule you'd expect 行いて, but the actual form is 行って. All its other forms (行かない, 行きます, 行けば) are regular. |
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜てもいいですか | may I...? (asking permission) | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| て / で | linking clauses, reasons, and more | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| ている | ongoing action or resulting state | V | N5 | |
| てから | after ..., then ...Use てから to put actions in order (do one thing, then the next), not for the reason meaning of から. | V | N5 | |
| てください | please ... (request) | V | N5 | |
| てはいけない | must not, forbidden | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| てもいい | may ...; ... is okay tooFor na-adjectives and nouns, use で before もいい. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| よ | informing the listener, emphasisIn polite speech, よ attaches after です／ます; in casual speech, だ can be dropped after na-adjectives and nouns. | V | N5 | |
| 〜ていただく | have someone do (humble) | V | N4 | |
| ございます | formal, polite "is"For i-adjectives, the く often changes to う. | な-adjN | N4 | |
| させてください | please let me do... | V | N4 | |
| てあげる | do something for someone else | V | N4 | |
| てある | resultant state of an action | V | N4 | |
| ていく | gradual change or progression from now on... | V | N4 | |
| ていただけませんか | politely ask someone to do something | V | N4 | |
| ているところ | while in the middle of doing... | V | N4 | |
| ておく / とく | do in advance, leave as isIn casual speech, ておく contracts to とく. | V | N4 | |
| てくる | gradually come to...; do... and come back | V | N4 | |
| てくれる | someone does ... for me | V | N4 | |
| てしまう / ちゃう | 食べてしまう／やっちゃう | finish doing; do by accidentAfter a te-form ending in で, attach しまう to form でしまう, which contracts to じゃう in casual speech. | V | N4 |
| てすみません | sorry for ...For な-adjectives and nouns, use で, which works as the て-form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| てほしい | want someone to do...To negate, use ないでほしい. | V | N4 | |
| てみる | try doing (to see how it goes)The みる here is usually written in kana, not with kanji. | V | N4 | |
| ても | 降っても／高くても | even if ... still | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 |
| てやる | do for someone (of lower status) | V | N4 | |
| てよかった | it's good that ... (expresses relief) | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| 〜こそ〜が | granted... but...こそ goes between the emphasized item and the predicate; the すれ／あれ forms sound rather stiff. | な-adj | N3 | |
| 〜ているところだ | be doing ... (in progress) | V | N3 | |
| 〜てしかたがない | unbearably ...; can't help (doing) | Vい-adjな-adj | N3 | |
| あまりに | too...; excessively...Often takes the te-form to introduce a result. Nouns usually take だ or で. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| こそ | 今年こそ／してこそ | precisely; only by...てこそ means that only by doing so does something happen. からこそ has its own entry. | V | N3 |
| さえ | evenでさえ emphasizes an extreme case. The verb stem + さえする form is also common. | V | N3 | |
| たって | even if ... stillColloquial; equivalent to ても. | V | N3 | |
| てごらん | try it (gentle encouragement) | V | N3 | |
| てしょうがない | so ... (one) can't stand itWith nouns, only words expressing emotions or sensations, such as 悔しい and 寂しい, are allowed. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| てはじめて | only after... | V | N3 | |
| てもかまわない / てもかまいません | it's fine even if ...The negative form なくても is extremely common, so don't miss it. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| てもらう | have someone do something for you | V | N3 | |
| ても始まらない | even if ..., it's no use | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| てやまない | sincerely and unceasingly ...Typically attaches to emotion-expressing verbs such as 願う and 祈る. | V | N3 | |
| 〜てさえいれば | as long as you keep ...ing, it's fineさえ can also be inserted right after い, giving ていさえすれば. | Vな-adjN | N2 | |
| しかも | moreover, furthermore, besidesA conjunction: it follows the previous sentence and adds information in the same direction. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せめて | at least; if nothing elseOften used with expressions of desire or request such as たい or てほしい. | V | N2 | |
| ていては | if you keep ..., bad things followFormed as て + いては, it expresses a negative hypothetical about a continuing state. | V | N2 | |
| てからでないと | without first ..., can't ... | V | N2 | |
| てこそ | it's only by ... that ... | V | N2 | |
| てたまらない | so ... one can't stand it, extremely ...Usually attaches to words for emotions and desires; emotion words that are nouns also use で. | Vい-adjな-adj | N2 | |
| てでも | even if it means ...ing | V | N2 | |
| てならない | can't help...; extremely...Mostly attaches to emotion words and verbs with a spontaneous meaning. Rarely attaches to volitional verbs. | Vい-adjな-adj | N2 | |
| ては | if..., then (undesirable result)Na-adjectives and nouns take では instead. It is often followed by 困る, いけない, and the like. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| てはいられない | can't keep ...ing | V | N2 | |
| てはならない | must not ...; forbidden | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| てばかりはいられない | can't keep doing nothing but... | V | N2 | |
| てまで | even going so far as to...Marks an extreme means taken to achieve something, often implying it is not worth going that far. | V | N2 | |
| てみせる | do ... to show; I'll ..., just watch me | V | N2 | |
| て以来 | ever since doing... | V | N2 | |
| て当然だ | it's only natural that...Not limited to verbs: i-adjectives take くて, and na-adjectives and nouns take で. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| てかなわない | so ... it's unbearable | Vい-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| てからというもの | ever since ... | V | N1 | |
| てしかるべきだ | ought to... / should... | V | N1 | |
| てもどうにもならない | even if ..., it's no use | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ても差し支えない | no problem even if... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ではあるまいし | it's not as if... (so...)Verbs and i-adjectives must go through の or わけ before attaching ではあるまいし. | な-adjN | N1 | |
| でも何でもない | not at all; by no meansI-adjectives must use the te-form: 美味しくても何でもない. | い-adjな-adjN | N1 |
ta-form181
Followed by ら (たら), り (たり), ことがある, ばかり, あとで, まま, and とたん.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書いた
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べた
- Suru (Type 3)した
- Kuru (Type 3)きた
- i-adjective高かった
- na-adjective静かだった
- noun学生だった
Of the four conditionals, たら is the only one that attaches to the た-form uniformly across all word classes: 書いたら／高かったら／静かだったら／学生だったら.
Godan sound changes
| Ending | て-form | た-form | e.g. |
|---|---|---|---|
| く・ぐ | いて・いで | いた・いだ | 書いて・泳いで |
| う・つ・る | って | った | 買って・待って・帰って |
| ぬ・ぶ・む | んで | んだ | 死んで・遊んで・飲んで |
| す | して | した | 話して |
| 行く | 行って | 行った | 学校へ行って行く is the only godan exception: by the く rule you'd expect 行いて, but the actual form is 行って. All its other forms (行かない, 行きます, 行けば) are regular. |
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜ほど〜ない | not as ... as ...The standard of comparison comes before ほど. The second clause must be negative. | V | N5 | |
| か〜か | whether ... or ...Na-adjectives usually take the stem; negative plain forms also attach. | Vい-adjな-adj | N5 | |
| から | because; from...In the 'because' sense, na-adjectives and nouns must take だ before から. てから is a separate pattern. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| が | subject marker; contrastive "but"As a subject marker, が attaches directly to the noun; don't add だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| くらい / ぐらい | about; to the extent of...For な-adjectives, use ～なくらい; don't attach くらい directly to the stem. | Vい-adjな-adj | N5 | |
| たことがある | have done ... before | V | N5 | |
| たものだ | recall what one used to do | V | N5 | |
| だけ | only; as much as possibleできるだけ is a set phrase. | V | N5 | |
| だろう | probably ... (conjecture)Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly, so don't add だ again. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| つもり | intend to; under the impression thatAfter the た form or noun + の, つもり usually means 'under the impression that...', not intention. | V | N5 | |
| でしょう | probably; I supposeDrop だ from na-adjectives and nouns before attaching でしょう. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| とき | when...; at the time of...The dictionary form and the ta-form of a verb express different time relationships. | V | N5 | |
| ので | because...Na-adjectives and nouns take な, not だ; the ta-form also works. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| ほうがいい | you'd better...When giving advice, the verb usually takes the た form or the ない form. | V | N5 | |
| よ | informing the listener, emphasisIn polite speech, よ attaches after です／ます; in casual speech, だ can be dropped after na-adjectives and nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| より〜ほうが | more ... than ...Before ほうが, add の after nouns and な after な-adjectives. | V | N5 | |
| 〜たほうがいい | had better..., it'd be better to...For negative advice, use ないほうがいい; don't attach ほうがいい directly to the irrealis form. | V | N4 | |
| かい | masculine colloquial question particleMainly used by men; the だ after nouns and な-adjectives can be dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| かしら | wondering to oneself, used mainly by womenWith nouns and な-adjectives, だ is often dropped; だれかしら and the like are a separate usage. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| かどうか | whether or not...For na-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| かもしれない | may..., might..., perhaps...For na-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted; you can also use である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ことになる | it is decided that..., it turns out that...The ない form here is the plain-form negative, not the negative stem. | V | N4 | |
| さ | casual assertion, nonchalant toneNa-adjectives and nouns often drop だ and take さ directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| し | listing reasons or information | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| じゃないか | isn't it?; let's...The volitional form makes it an invitation. After noun and na-adjective stems, attach it directly without だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| そうだ | I hear that..., reportedlyThis is the hearsay usage of そうだ. Do not confuse it with the appearance そうだ that attaches to stems. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| たところ | just did ...Indicates the action has just been completed. | V | N4 | |
| たばかり | just did ...; just now | V | N4 | |
| たら | if... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| たらどう | why don't you...Often followed by ですか or a question mark, it expresses a gentle suggestion. | V | N4 | |
| だけで | just by ...For verbs, both the plain form and the ta-form are acceptable. | V | N4 | |
| ではないか | isn't it ...? (confirmation, surprise)The の is often optional. In spoken Japanese, it usually appears as じゃないか. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| といい / たらいい | it would be nice if...When expressing a wish, といい and たらいい are largely interchangeable. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ところ | about to / in the middle of / just didる means the action is about to happen, ている means it is in progress, and た means it has just finished. | V | N4 | |
| と思う | think; considerNouns and な-adjectives take だ before と思う. The volitional form expresses an intention to do something. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| なら | if...Drop だ after nouns and な-adjectives; the た form can also be used. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| のに | even though...After nouns and な-adjectives, use なのに, not だのに. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| はずがない | there's no way that... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| はずだ | is supposed to...Na-adjectives take な, nouns take の, and the pattern attaches to the attributive form. | V | N4 | |
| まま | leaving something as isThe verb takes the た or ない form, generally not the dictionary form. | V | N4 | |
| みたいだ | seems like; just like ...No の after nouns and no な after な-adjectives (unlike ようだ). | な-adjN | N4 | |
| みたいに/みたいな | like ...Na-adjectives use the stem without な; nouns attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ようだ | conjecture; seems like...Na-adjectives take な (静かなようだ), and nouns take の (学生のようだ). | V | N4 | |
| ように見える | looks like...With nouns, use のように; with na-adjectives, use な. | V | N4 | |
| 場合は | in the case of...Na-adjectives take な and nouns take の. Don't forget the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| 後で | after ...; later onDoes not attach directly to い/な adjectives; nouns need の. | V | N4 | |
| 間に | during the period when ...Attach the plain form directly, not the て form; ている counts as a plain form. The た form is common, as in いた間に. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| 〜たきり | after ..., never again | V | N3 | |
| 〜たところだ | just did ... | V | N3 | |
| 〜たり〜たりする | lists actions or statesEssentially this is the た form plus り, not り added directly to the verb stem. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| あまり | because of too much ..., ...い-adjectives must first add さ to become nouns before taking の. | V | N3 | |
| あまりに | too...; excessively...Often takes the te-form to introduce a result. Nouns usually take だ or で. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| か何か | ...or something; or the likeNouns and na-adjectives attach directly, without adding だ. | V | N3 | |
| きり | only ...; after that, never again ...When きり means 'only,' it attaches to a noun; when it means 'never again,' it attaches to the ta-form. | V | N3 | |
| くせに | even though... (reproachful)Carries a tone of dissatisfaction and blame. Attaches to the plain form, including the ta form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ことか | exclamation: how ... !Usually pairs with どんなに or どれほど, and is often in the ta-form. | Vい-adjな-adj | N3 | |
| ことがある | sometimes; have done beforeThe plain form usually means 'sometimes', while the た form is for past experience. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| せいで | all because of... (negative result)Mostly used for causes that lead to bad results. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| たとたん | as soon as ..., ... | V | N3 | |
| ために | in order to; because ofWhen it expresses purpose, use the dictionary form. When it expresses a reason, the ta-form and adjectives can also be used. | V | N3 | |
| だけでなく | not only... but also... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| っけ | trying to recall... what was it again?Usually attaches to the た-form or だ when you're trying to recall something you're not sure about. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ついでに | while you're at it, on the wayNouns must take の; don't attach them directly. | V | N3 | |
| つもりで | with the intention/mindset of...The plain form includes the ない form, so don't just memorize the dictionary form. | Vい-adjな-adj | N3 | |
| といっても | although ..., ...Nouns usually attach directly without だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| とおり | just as...; in accordance with...Nouns must take の before this pattern. It can also appear as どおり. | V | N3 | |
| とおりに | just as...Nouns must take の before とおりに. In casual speech, it also appears as どおりに. | V | N3 | |
| としたら / とすれば | supposing that...Na-adjectives and nouns take だ or だった. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| とは限らない | not necessarily, not alwaysFor な-adjectives and nouns, だ can often be omitted. Do not use the attributive form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| とみえる / とみえて | it looks like...; it seems...Use the terminal form だ/である, not the attributive forms な/の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| どころか | far from..., on the contraryな-adjectives take the stem form. Don't add だ after nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| なんか / なんて | dismissive or unexpected exampleなんて is often followed by a surprised evaluation or comment. なんか leans toward self-deprecation and belittling. | V | N3 | |
| にしては | for ..., surprisinglyNa-adjectives take the stem, without な. Don't use the te-form. | Vい-adj | N3 | |
| に加えて | in addition to..., what's moreNouns usually attach directly, as in 風に加えて. Don't confuse the のに in 食べるのに加えて with the concessive のに ('even though'). | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| に違いない | must be..., no doubtNa-adjectives and nouns attach directly, without だ. | V | N3 | |
| ばかりか | not only... but also...Nouns attach directly. In formal style, na-adjectives and nouns use である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ばかりでなく | not only ... but also ...な-adjectives take な, not だ. Nouns usually attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ふりをする | pretend to...Use 静かなふり for な-adjectives and 学生のふり for nouns. | V | N3 | |
| ほど | to the extent of...; the more..., the more...Verb forms include the ない form; na-adjectives take な, and nouns attach directly. | V | N3 | |
| ような気がする | feel as if...The plain form includes the ta-form and the negative form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ように/ような | like ...Nouns must take の, and な-adjectives take な rather than the bare stem. | V | N3 | |
| わけがない | there's no way that...; can't be that...Nouns take の or である, not だ directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| わけだ | no wonder; in other wordsNouns take の or である, not just だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| わりに | considering ..., yet ...Nouns take の and な-adjectives take な; it also often attaches to the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| んだって | I heard that... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| 一方で | on the other hand; whereasNouns generally take である, not の. | V | N3 | |
| 上で | after doing...; in terms of...The た form means 'after ...'. The plain form means 'in the process of ...' or 'in terms of ...'. | V | N3 | |
| 代わりに | instead of; in exchangeNouns must take の before 代わりに. When it means 'in return', the ta form is more common. | Vい-adjな-adj | N3 | |
| 結果 | the result of... | V | N3 | |
| 際に | on the occasion of ...More formal than とき. Often used with words like 必要 and 非常時. | V | N3 | |
| 〜わりには | considering ..., yet ... | V | N2 | |
| あげく | after much ..., finally (often negative) | V | N2 | |
| おまけに | what's more, on top of thatOften starts a new sentence after the previous one. Mostly used to add something negative on top of what was said. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| かと思ったら / かと思うと | no sooner had (I) thought... than...Marks an abrupt change where the next situation follows right on the heels of the previous one, not the 'I thought... but actually' meaning. | V | N2 | |
| からこそ | precisely because ...Na-adjectives and nouns must take だ／だった; don't attach からこそ directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| からには | now that ...; seeing as ...Na-adjectives and nouns must take である or だった; からには can't attach to them directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ことから | because...; from the fact that...Nouns and な-adjectives usually take である, not の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ことに | to one's ...Usually follows words expressing emotion or evaluation. I-adjectives use the dictionary form, not the く form. | V | N2 | |
| ことにはならない | doesn't mean that...Often pairs with からといって, and usually takes という before it. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| しかも | moreover, furthermore, besidesA conjunction: it follows the previous sentence and adds information in the same direction. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せいか | perhaps because of...Use な after な-adjectives and の after nouns. Affirmative forms can also take the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せめて | at least; if nothing elseOften used with expressions of desire or request such as たい or てほしい. | V | N2 | |
| たら〜たで | each outcome brings its own issuesThe same word must be repeated on both sides. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけあって | as expected of...Na-adjectives take な, not だ; nouns attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけに | precisely because..., all the more...Nouns usually attach directly or with な/である; だ is rare. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけのことはある | lives up to expectations, not in vainNouns usually attach directly, and である also works. | V | N2 | |
| だけは | will / did at least ...The same verb is used before and after, and the second one usually takes the plain or た form. | V | N2 | |
| だけましだ | still better than nothing | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というか | or should I say, more preciselyNouns and na-adjectives usually use the stem, but だ and だった are also acceptable. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というふうに | in such a way as ...Often follows a list or a quotation to express the manner or situation. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というものではない | it's not that... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というものでもない | not necessarily the case that...For nouns and na-adjectives, use だ or だった, not な or の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ところから | from the fact/situation that...Both the plain form and the ta form are acceptable; it indicates the basis for a judgment or the origin of a name. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ところに / ところへ | just when... (suddenly)Don't attach the て-form directly. The verb must be in a form like ている or た. | V | N2 | |
| ところを | right when ... (sorry to intrude)The ている form is also common, indicating an action interrupted while in progress. | V | N2 | |
| ところを見ると | judging from...Na-adjectives attach with な/だった and nouns with の/だった, not directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| としても | even if ... stillWith な-adjectives and nouns, the だ is often dropped in casual speech. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| と同時に | at the same time as ...; both ... and ...When expressing 'both ... and ...', you must use である. | V | N2 | |
| と考えられる | it is thought that..., can be considered...This pattern is used in written language. With na-adjectives and nouns, である is usually used. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| どころではない | can't even think of...; hardly the time for itDon't add だ after nouns or na-adjectives. The te-form can't be used with this pattern. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| にしても | even if / even thoughNouns and な-adjectives can attach directly, and である is often added as well. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| にしろ / にせよ | even if...; whether... or...Nouns and な-adjectives often attach directly, and である is common in formal style. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| にもかかわらず | despite ... stillNouns usually attach directly, with or without である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| に決まっている | it's certain that..., bound to...Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly in the non-past form, without adding だ or な. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| に過ぎない | nothing more than...な-adjectives must use the stem + である; nouns attach directly, without だ. | Vい-adj | N2 | |
| のみか | not only... but also...Written style, used much like ばかりか. | Vい-adj | N2 | |
| のももっともだ | it is also only natural that...の here is a formal noun, and the pattern is fixed as plain form + のも. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ばかりに | simply because... (with unfortunate results)Often takes the た form and introduces a negative result. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ふうに | in the manner of..., the way...Often attaches to demonstratives; in casual speech, の after nouns can be dropped. | V | N2 | |
| もの | reason-giving, justifying toneOften used after んだ or のだ; in casual speech, it can appear as もん. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ものか | strong negation: no way...With na-adjectives and nouns, attach な, not だ. In casual speech, it's often もんか. | V | N2 | |
| ものだ | emotion, reminiscence, or how things should beRecollections usually take the た form, while emotion or the essential nature of things takes the plain form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ものだから | because... (excuse/justification)Nouns and な-adjectives take な, and the た form is also common. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ものの | although...After な-adjectives and nouns, use な or である, not だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ようでは | if..., that's no good | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 上に | not only ... but also ... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 上は | now that ...; seeing as ...With nouns and na-adjectives, use である, not だ or の. | V | N2 | |
| 以上に | more than ...; beyond ...Nouns often attach directly, and it also appears as である以上に. | V | N2 | |
| 以上は | now that ...; seeing as ...Nouns take である only, never な. | V | N2 | |
| 恐れがある | there's a risk that...; there's a danger of...Usually used for undesirable outcomes. After a noun, add の before 恐れ. | V | N2 | |
| 手前 | for the sake of appearances; now that...In the face-saving sense it usually follows the た form or ている; the dictionary form usually means just ahead in space or time. | V | N2 | |
| 末に | after ..., finally | V | N2 | |
| 限り | as long as..., unless...The ta-form most often appears in 「～限りでは」, which marks the scope of a statement. | V | N2 | |
| 〜やら〜やら | both ... and ...The enumeration carries a nuance of disorder or mixed feelings. | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| いかにも | typically; true to typeOften pairs with らしい or そうだ to emphasize typical traits. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| か否か | whether or not ... (written)With な-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted, or である is used instead. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| が早いか | no sooner ... than ...Both the dictionary form and the ta-form are acceptable, with almost no difference in meaning. | V | N1 | |
| が最後 | once..., there's no going back | V | N1 | |
| くらいのものだ | nothing more than... | Vい-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| こととて | because of... (excuse, resignation)Nouns usually take の, and である is also common in formal contexts. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ごとき / ごとく | just like...After a verb, が is often added. ごとき modifies nouns, while ごとく modifies verbs. | V | N1 | |
| さぞ | surely, certainly (conjecture)Usually paired with だろう/でしょう to express conjecture. | V | N1 | |
| そばから | as soon as... again (repeatedly) | V | N1 | |
| たところで | even if ... (to no avail) | V | N1 | |
| ためしがない | never once ...Only attaches to the ta-form, not the dictionary form. | V | N1 | |
| たら最後 / たが最後 | once..., there's no going back | V | N1 | |
| た拍子に | the moment ... (something unexpected) | V | N1 | |
| ってば | impatiently repeat oneselfNouns can also take ってば directly, to bring up a topic with emotion. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ではあるまいし | it's not as if... (so...)Verbs and i-adjectives must go through の or わけ before attaching ではあるまいし. | Vい-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| とあって | precisely because...For nouns and な-adjectives, だ is usually not added after the stem. | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| というわけだ | no wonder; that's whyという can often be omitted. Nouns usually take のわけだ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| というわけではない | it's not that...After na-adjectives and nouns, だ can often be omitted. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| といえども | even if...; while it may be...Nouns usually attach directly. Na-adjectives generally take だ or である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とされる | is considered to be...The だ after nouns and な-adjectives is often dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| としたって / としたところで | even if ..., it's no useNouns can attach directly: 彼女としたって. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とて | even if ... still; even ...Nouns usually attach directly. Na-adjectives take だ／である, not the stem. | V | N1 | |
| とは | to think that... (expresses surprise)With nouns and な-adjectives, だ can often be omitted. The phrase can stand alone as a complete sentence. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とばかりに | as if to say...What comes before と is quotable, sentence-final content, not limited to the dictionary form. | V | N1 | |
| と思いきや | you'd think ..., but noAfter な-adjectives and nouns, だ/だった cannot be dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| にしたって | even if ... stillNa-adjectives and nouns take the stem form, without だ. | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| に引き換え | in contrast to, compared withNouns usually take に directly, but なのに is also possible. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| のなんのって | can't tell you how ...This colloquial pattern stresses an extreme degree. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ほうがましだ | would be better to...The ない form counts as a plain form, not a negative stem. な-adjectives take な and nouns take の. | V | N1 | |
| までだ | will just ...; nothing more than ...The dictionary form means you have no choice but to do it; the ta-form means it's just that... | V | N1 | |
| もので | because... (as an excuse)For nouns and な-adjectives, use な or だった, not だ or の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ものとして | treat as..., regard as...Nouns usually take である. The plain form includes negatives. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ものと思われる | it is generally thought that...Formal written style; use である with な-adjectives and nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ものを | yet... (regret, reproach)Often follows ばいい or ばよかった to express regret. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ゆえに | because, due toFormal written style; nouns usually attach directly or take の／である. | Vい-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| 可能性がある | there is a possibility that...Nouns usually take の; the plain negative form can also attach. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| 折に | on the occasion of ...Mostly used in writing or formal settings, similar to 「際に」. | V | N1 |
Plain form, dictionary form280
Use the plain form with 前に, ことができる, つもり, はず, ように, な (prohibition), だろう, and らしい.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書く
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べる
- Suru (Type 3)する
- Kuru (Type 3)くる
- i-adjective高い
- na-adjective静かだ／静かな
- noun学生だ／学生の
More sentence patterns attach to this slot than to any other. For な-adjectives and nouns, distinguish the predicative form from the attributive form: 静かだ (predicative) → 静かなとき (attributive); 学生だ → 学生のとき.
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜ほど〜ない | not as ... as ...The standard of comparison comes before ほど. The second clause must be negative. | VN | N5 | |
| か〜か | whether ... or ...Na-adjectives usually take the stem; negative plain forms also attach. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| から | because; from...In the 'because' sense, na-adjectives and nouns must take だ before から. てから is a separate pattern. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| が | subject marker; contrastive "but"As a subject marker, が attaches directly to the noun; don't add だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| くらい / ぐらい | about; to the extent of...For な-adjectives, use ～なくらい; don't attach くらい directly to the stem. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| けど / けれども | but, though (mild contrast)Attaches to a wide range of forms: past, negative, and forms ending in です／ます all work. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| だ / です | is ... (copula)In general, use only です after i-adjectives, not だ. | い-adj | N5 | |
| だけ | only; as much as possibleできるだけ is a set phrase. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| だろう | probably ... (conjecture)Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly, so don't add だ again. | Vい-adj | N5 | |
| つもり | intend to; under the impression thatAfter the た form or noun + の, つもり usually means 'under the impression that...', not intention. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| でしょう | probably; I supposeDrop だ from na-adjectives and nouns before attaching でしょう. | Vい-adj | N5 | |
| と | 田中さんと／春になると | and, with; when..., then...The conditional と attaches to the plain form, not the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 |
| とき | when...; at the time of...The dictionary form and the ta-form of a verb express different time relationships. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| な | prohibition (don't ...) | V | N5 | |
| なる | become; come to beVerbs can't attach directly; use ようになる instead. | VN | N5 | |
| のが上手 | be good at doing sth | V | N5 | |
| のが下手 | not good at doing... | V | N5 | |
| のが好き | like ...With nouns, use が好き directly, without の. | Vい-adjな-adj | N5 | |
| ので | because...Na-adjectives and nouns take な, not だ; the ta-form also works. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| ほうがいい | you'd better...When giving advice, the verb usually takes the た form or the ない form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| よ | informing the listener, emphasisIn polite speech, よ attaches after です／ます; in casual speech, だ can be dropped after na-adjectives and nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| より〜ほうが | more ... than ...Before ほうが, add の after nouns and な after な-adjectives. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N5 | |
| 前に | before ...The verb takes only the dictionary form, never the た form. | VN | N5 | |
| 〜しか〜ない | have no choice but to; only ... will doThe second half is always ない, and the whole pattern means there is no other choice. | V | N4 | |
| 〜ように言う | tell / ask (someone) to do...Use the ない form to tell someone not to do something. | V | N4 | |
| かい | masculine colloquial question particleMainly used by men; the だ after nouns and な-adjectives can be dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| かしら | wondering to oneself, used mainly by womenWith nouns and な-adjectives, だ is often dropped; だれかしら and the like are a separate usage. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| かどうか | whether or not...For na-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| かもしれない | may..., might..., perhaps...For na-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted; you can also use である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ことができる | can, be able to... | V | N4 | |
| ことにする | decide to do (or not do) | V | N4 | |
| ことになる | it is decided that..., it turns out that...The ない form here is the plain-form negative, not the negative stem. | V | N4 | |
| さ | casual assertion, nonchalant toneNa-adjectives and nouns often drop だ and take さ directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| し | listing reasons or information | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| じゃないか | isn't it?; let's...The volitional form makes it an invitation. After noun and na-adjective stems, attach it directly without だ. | Vい-adjN | N4 | |
| そうだ | I hear that..., reportedlyThis is the hearsay usage of そうだ. Do not confuse it with the appearance そうだ that attaches to stems. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| だけで | just by ...For verbs, both the plain form and the ta-form are acceptable. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ではないか | isn't it ...? (confirmation, surprise)The の is often optional. In spoken Japanese, it usually appears as じゃないか. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| といい / たらいい | it would be nice if...When expressing a wish, といい and たらいい are largely interchangeable. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ということ | the fact that...Na-adjectives and nouns must take the plain form, such as だ/だった. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ところ | about to / in the middle of / just didる means the action is about to happen, ている means it is in progress, and た means it has just finished. | V | N4 | |
| と思う | think; considerNouns and な-adjectives take だ before と思う. The volitional form expresses an intention to do something. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| なら | if...Drop だ after nouns and な-adjectives; the た form can also be used. | Vい-adjN | N4 | |
| のに | even though...After nouns and な-adjectives, use なのに, not だのに. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| はずがない | there's no way that... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| はずだ | is supposed to...Na-adjectives take な, nouns take の, and the pattern attaches to the attributive form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| までに | by (a deadline)Use the dictionary form of the verb, not the ta form or the nai form. | VN | N4 | |
| まま | leaving something as isThe verb takes the た or ない form, generally not the dictionary form. | い-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| みたいだ | seems like; just like ...No の after nouns and no な after な-adjectives (unlike ようだ). | Vい-adj | N4 | |
| みたいに/みたいな | like ...Na-adjectives use the stem without な; nouns attach directly. | Vい-adjN | N4 | |
| ようだ | conjecture; seems like...Na-adjectives take な (静かなようだ), and nouns take の (学生のようだ). | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| ようにする | make a conscious effort to do... | V | N4 | |
| ようになる | become able to, begin to...Does not attach to the た form. For adjectives and nouns, use ～くなる／～になる instead. | V | N4 | |
| ように見える | looks like...With nouns, use のように; with na-adjectives, use な. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| らしい | hearsay; seems like...For hearsay, use the plain form; when it means 'typical', use a noun or a stem. | Vい-adj | N4 | |
| 予定だ | be scheduled to; plan to... | VN | N4 | |
| 場合は | in the case of...Na-adjectives take な and nouns take の. Don't forget the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| 後で | after ...; later onDoes not attach directly to い/な adjectives; nouns need の. | N | N4 | |
| 必要がある | need to do...For the negative, 必要がない or 必要はない is the usual form. | VN | N4 | |
| 間に | during the period when ...Attach the plain form directly, not the て form; ている counts as a plain form. The た form is common, as in いた間に. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 | |
| 〜こそ〜が | granted... but...こそ goes between the emphasized item and the predicate; the すれ／あれ forms sound rather stiff. | N | N3 | |
| 〜ことにしている | make it a rule to...The ない form counts as plain form. The pattern does not take the た form. | V | N3 | |
| 〜ほかない | have no choice but to...; the only way is... | V | N3 | |
| 〜るところだ | just about to do sth | V | N3 | |
| あまり | because of too much ..., ...い-adjectives must first add さ to become nouns before taking の. | Vな-adjN | N3 | |
| あまりに | too...; excessively...Often takes the te-form to introduce a result. Nouns usually take だ or で. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| うちに | while...; before...Attach うちに to the ない form, not the て form; it does not take the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| おかげで | thanks to ... (positive cause) | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| か何か | ...or something; or the likeNouns and na-adjectives attach directly, without adding だ. | Vい-adjN | N3 | |
| きり | only ...; after that, never again ...When きり means 'only,' it attaches to a noun; when it means 'never again,' it attaches to the ta-form. | N | N3 | |
| くせに | even though... (reproachful)Carries a tone of dissatisfaction and blame. Attaches to the plain form, including the ta form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| こと | turns a predicate into a nounThe plain form includes the ta-form and nai-form; use の after nouns and な after na-adjectives. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ことか | exclamation: how ... !Usually pairs with どんなに or どれほど, and is often in the ta-form. | Vい-adjな-adj | N3 | |
| ことがある | sometimes; have done beforeThe plain form usually means 'sometimes', while the た form is for past experience. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ことだ | it's best to...; you should... | V | N3 | |
| ことになっている | it's the rule that..., it's arranged that... | V | N3 | |
| ことはない | no need to..., don't have to... | V | N3 | |
| さえ | evenでさえ emphasizes an extreme case. The verb stem + さえする form is also common. | V | N3 | |
| しかない | have no choice but to..., the only option is...It does not attach to the ない form. Do not confuse it with しか～ない. | V | N3 | |
| せいで | all because of... (negative result)Mostly used for causes that lead to bad results. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| たって | even if ... stillColloquial; equivalent to ても. | N | N3 | |
| たびに | every time ...The verb takes only the non-past dictionary form, not the た form. | VN | N3 | |
| ために | in order to; because ofWhen it expresses purpose, use the dictionary form. When it expresses a reason, the ta-form and adjectives can also be used. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| だけでなく | not only... but also... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| っけ | trying to recall... what was it again?Usually attaches to the た-form or だ when you're trying to recall something you're not sure about. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ついでに | while you're at it, on the wayNouns must take の; don't attach them directly. | VN | N3 | |
| つもりで | with the intention/mindset of...The plain form includes the ない form, so don't just memorize the dictionary form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| というより | not so much ... as ...The だ is often dropped after な-adjectives and nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| といっても | although ..., ...Nouns usually attach directly without だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| とおり | just as...; in accordance with...Nouns must take の before this pattern. It can also appear as どおり. | VN | N3 | |
| とおりに | just as...Nouns must take の before とおりに. In casual speech, it also appears as どおりに. | VN | N3 | |
| としたら / とすれば | supposing that...Na-adjectives and nouns take だ or だった. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| とは限らない | not necessarily, not alwaysFor な-adjectives and nouns, だ can often be omitted. Do not use the attributive form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| とみえる / とみえて | it looks like...; it seems...Use the terminal form だ/である, not the attributive forms な/の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| と共に | 家族と共に／発展すると共に | together with ...; as ...The verb takes only the dictionary form, never the た form. | VN | N3 |
| どころか | far from..., on the contraryな-adjectives take the stem form. Don't add だ after nouns. | Vい-adjN | N3 | |
| ながら / いながら / ながらも | while ..., althoughFor い-adjectives, use the plain form, not the く-form. | い-adj | N3 | |
| なんか / なんて | dismissive or unexpected exampleなんて is often followed by a surprised evaluation or comment. なんか leans toward self-deprecation and belittling. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| にしたがって | as; in accordance withThe verb usually expresses a change. Do not use the ta-form. | V | N3 | |
| にしては | for ..., surprisinglyNa-adjectives take the stem, without な. Don't use the te-form. | Vい-adj | N3 | |
| につれて | changes as ...Usually attaches to verbs that express change. It does not attach to the た form. | V | N3 | |
| には | in order to... / if you want to... | V | N3 | |
| に加えて | in addition to..., what's moreNouns usually attach directly, as in 風に加えて. Don't confuse the のに in 食べるのに加えて with the concessive のに ('even though'). | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| に違いない | must be..., no doubtNa-adjectives and nouns attach directly, without だ. | Vい-adj | N3 | |
| ばかりか | not only... but also...Nouns attach directly. In formal style, na-adjectives and nouns use である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ばかりでなく | not only ... but also ...な-adjectives take な, not だ. Nouns usually attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ふりをする | pretend to...Use 静かなふり for な-adjectives and 学生のふり for nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| べき | should ... (obligation)For the negative, use べきではない. Don't attach it to the ta-form. | V | N3 | |
| べきではない | should not ...With する, the pattern is usually すべきではない. | V | N3 | |
| ほど | to the extent of...; the more..., the more...Verb forms include the ない form; na-adjectives take な, and nouns attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ような気がする | feel as if...The plain form includes the ta-form and the negative form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ように/ような | like ...Nouns must take の, and な-adjectives take な rather than the bare stem. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| わけがない | there's no way that...; can't be that...Nouns take の or である, not だ directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| わけだ | no wonder; in other wordsNouns take の or である, not just だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| わけではない | it's not that..., it doesn't mean that...な-adjectives and nouns take the attributive な, not the bare stem. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| わけにはいかない | can't... / have no choice but to...With the ない-form, it means you can't not do it, i.e. you must. | V | N3 | |
| わりに | considering ..., yet ...Nouns take の and な-adjectives take な; it also often attaches to the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| んだって | I heard that... | Vい-adjN | N3 | |
| 一方だ | more and more, without stopping | V | N3 | |
| 一方で | on the other hand; whereasNouns generally take である, not の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| 上で | after doing...; in terms of...The た form means 'after ...'. The plain form means 'in the process of ...' or 'in terms of ...'. | VN | N3 | |
| 代わりに | instead of; in exchangeNouns must take の before 代わりに. When it means 'in return', the ta form is more common. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| 最中に | right in the middle of...The verb must be in the ている form, not the dictionary form. | VN | N3 | |
| 結果 | した結果／調査の結果 | the result of... | N | N3 |
| 途中に / 途中で | on the way ..., in the course of ...It does not take the ta-form. The te-form cannot attach directly. | VN | N3 | |
| 際に | on the occasion of ...More formal than とき. Often used with words like 必要 and 非常時. | Vな-adjN | N3 | |
| 〜につけても | each time..., ...The noun is usually 何, 何か, or the like. It often attaches to verbs of perception and thinking. | VN | N2 | |
| 〜ば〜ほど | the more ..., the more ...After であれば, use あるほど and don't repeat the original word. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 〜わりには | considering ..., yet ... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| あげく | after much ..., finally (often negative) | N | N2 | |
| おまけに | what's more, on top of thatOften starts a new sentence after the previous one. Mostly used to add something negative on top of what was said. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| からこそ | precisely because ...Na-adjectives and nouns must take だ／だった; don't attach からこそ directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| からといって | just because... doesn't mean...The main clause often pairs with 限らない or わけではない. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| からには | now that ...; seeing as ...Na-adjectives and nouns must take である or だった; からには can't attach to them directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| くせして | even though... (disapproving)Attaches the same way as くせに, but sounds more colloquial. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ことから | because...; from the fact that...Nouns and な-adjectives usually take である, not の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ことなく | without ... | V | N2 | |
| ことに | to one's ...Usually follows words expressing emotion or evaluation. I-adjectives use the dictionary form, not the く form. | い-adjな-adj | N2 | |
| ことにはならない | doesn't mean that...Often pairs with からといって, and usually takes という before it. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| しかも | moreover, furthermore, besidesA conjunction: it follows the previous sentence and adds information in the same direction. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せいか | perhaps because of...Use な after な-adjectives and の after nouns. Affirmative forms can also take the た form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せめて | at least; if nothing elseOften used with expressions of desire or request such as たい or てほしい. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけあって | as expected of...Na-adjectives take な, not だ; nouns attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけに | precisely because..., all the more...Nouns usually attach directly or with な/である; だ is rare. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけのことはある | lives up to expectations, not in vainNouns usually attach directly, and である also works. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だけは | will / did at least ...The same verb is used before and after, and the second one usually takes the plain or た form. | V | N2 | |
| だけましだ | still better than nothing | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| だの〜だの | listing complaints and the likeTypically used in pairs, as in 「〜だの〜だの」. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というか | or should I say, more preciselyNouns and na-adjectives usually use the stem, but だ and だった are also acceptable. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というふうに | in such a way as ...Often follows a list or a quotation to express the manner or situation. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というものだ | that's what ... really is, it's only natural that... | Vい-adj | N2 | |
| というものではない | it's not that... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| というものでもない | not necessarily the case that...For nouns and na-adjectives, use だ or だった, not な or の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ところから | from the fact/situation that...Both the plain form and the ta form are acceptable; it indicates the basis for a judgment or the origin of a name. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ところだった | almost ...Use it when something bad almost happened but didn't. Don't confuse it with たところだ. | V | N2 | |
| ところに / ところへ | just when... (suddenly)Don't attach the て-form directly. The verb must be in a form like ている or た. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ところを | right when ... (sorry to intrude)The ている form is also common, indicating an action interrupted while in progress. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ところを見ると | judging from...Na-adjectives attach with な/だった and nouns with の/だった, not directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| としても | even if ... stillWith な-adjectives and nouns, the だ is often dropped in casual speech. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| とも | even if ... stillNa-adjectives and nouns take であろうとも. であれ is a different pattern. | な-adjN | N2 | |
| と同時に | at the same time as ...; both ... and ...When expressing 'both ... and ...', you must use である. | Vい-adjN | N2 | |
| と考えられる | it is thought that..., can be considered...This pattern is used in written language. With na-adjectives and nouns, である is usually used. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| どころではない | can't even think of...; hardly the time for itDon't add だ after nouns or na-adjectives. The te-form can't be used with this pattern. | Vい-adjN | N2 | |
| にあたって | on the occasion of... | V | N2 | |
| にあたり | on the occasion of... | VN | N2 | |
| にかかわらず | regardless of ...Verbs often appear in pairs, one affirmative and one negative. | Vい-adj | N2 | |
| にしても | even if / even thoughNouns and な-adjectives can attach directly, and である is often added as well. | Vい-adj | N2 | |
| にしろ / にせよ | even if...; whether... or...Nouns and な-adjectives often attach directly, and である is common in formal style. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| につけ | whenever...; each time...Typically attaches to verbs of perception and thought. | V | N2 | |
| にもかかわらず | despite ... stillNouns usually attach directly, with or without である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| に伴って | along with, asAfter a verb, you must add の before に伴って. | VN | N2 | |
| に決まっている | it's certain that..., bound to...Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly in the non-past form, without adding だ or な. | Vい-adj | N2 | |
| に相違ない | must be..., no doubtNouns can also attach directly. Prefer である over だ. | Vい-adjN | N2 | |
| に越したことはない | couldn't be betterNa-adjectives and nouns must take である and cannot attach directly. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| に過ぎない | nothing more than...な-adjectives must use the stem + である; nouns attach directly, without だ. | Vい-adjN | N2 | |
| に限る | it's best to...; nothing beats...When it means "had better," it attaches to the dictionary form of a verb or to a noun. | VN | N2 | |
| に際して | on the occasion of... | VN | N2 | |
| のみか | not only... but also...Written style, used much like ばかりか. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| のみならず | not only ... but alsoな-adjectives and nouns often attach directly or take である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| のももっともだ | it is also only natural that...の here is a formal noun, and the pattern is fixed as plain form + のも. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ばかりだ | keeps (changing)Attaches to the dictionary form to express a continuing trend. Do not confuse it with たばかり. | V | N2 | |
| ばかりに | simply because... (with unfortunate results)Often takes the た form and introduces a negative result. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ふうに | in the manner of..., the way...Often attaches to demonstratives; in casual speech, の after nouns can be dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| べきだ | should ...With する, the usual form is すべきだ, though するべきだ is also acceptable. | V | N2 | |
| まい | don't intend to..., probably won't...Godan verbs take only the plain form; 書かまい is not used. | V | N2 | |
| ままに | in accordance with; at the mercy ofWith verbs, this pattern very often follows the passive form. | VN | N2 | |
| もう少しで | almost ...Usually pairs with ところだった to say something almost happened. | V | N2 | |
| もの | reason-giving, justifying toneOften used after んだ or のだ; in casual speech, it can appear as もん. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ものか | strong negation: no way...With na-adjectives and nouns, attach な, not だ. In casual speech, it's often もんか. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ものがある | feel there's something ... about it | Vい-adjな-adj | N2 | |
| ものだ | emotion, reminiscence, or how things should beRecollections usually take the た form, while emotion or the essential nature of things takes the plain form. | Vい-adjな-adj | N2 | |
| ものだから | because... (excuse/justification)Nouns and な-adjectives take な, and the た form is also common. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ものではない | shouldn't...; not something one can...Usually takes the plain form when expressing admonition. Do not confuse it with ないものでもない. | V | N2 | |
| ものの | although...After な-adjectives and nouns, use な or である, not だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| ようがない / ようもない | no way to...Only action nouns can be used, in the form のしようがない. | N | N2 | |
| ようでは | if..., that's no good | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| よりほかない | no choice but to...; nothing to do but... | V | N2 | |
| 上に | not only ... but also ... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 上は | now that ...; seeing as ...With nouns and na-adjectives, use である, not だ or の. | Vな-adjN | N2 | |
| 以上に | more than ...; beyond ...Nouns often attach directly, and it also appears as である以上に. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 以上は | now that ...; seeing as ...Nouns take である only, never な. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 反面 | on the other hand; converselyFor nouns, both の and である work; the た form is rare. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 恐れがある | there's a risk that...; there's a danger of...Usually used for undesirable outcomes. After a noun, add の before 恐れ. | VN | N2 | |
| 手前 | for the sake of appearances; now that...In the face-saving sense it usually follows the た form or ている; the dictionary form usually means just ahead in space or time. | VN | N2 | |
| 末に | after ..., finally | N | N2 | |
| 次第 | 分かり次第／努力次第だ | as soon as ...; depends on ... | N | N2 |
| 限り | as long as..., unless...The ta-form most often appears in 「～限りでは」, which marks the scope of a statement. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| 〜に至って | only when things reach the ... stageUse the verb in its dictionary form; the た form is rarely seen with this pattern. | VN | N1 | |
| 〜やら〜やら | both ... and ...The enumeration carries a nuance of disorder or mixed feelings. | Vい-adjN | N1 | |
| いかにも | typically; true to typeOften pairs with らしい or そうだ to emphasize typical traits. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| かたわら | while..., also doing... on the side | VN | N1 | |
| か否か | whether or not ... (written)With な-adjectives and nouns, だ is often omitted, or である is used instead. | Vい-adjN | N1 | |
| がてら | while doing ..., taking the chance to ...Usually attaches to verbal nouns. Does not attach to the ta form. | N | N1 | |
| が早いか | no sooner ... than ...Both the dictionary form and the ta-form are acceptable, with almost no difference in meaning. | V | N1 | |
| くらいなら | rather than ..., would rather ...Na-adjectives and nouns must take である; do not attach くらいなら directly to them. | Vい-adjN | N1 | |
| くらいのものだ | nothing more than... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| こととて | because of... (excuse, resignation)Nouns usually take の, and である is also common in formal contexts. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ことなしに | without ... | V | N1 | |
| ごとき / ごとく | just like...After a verb, が is often added. ごとき modifies nouns, while ごとく modifies verbs. | VN | N1 | |
| さぞ | surely, certainly (conjecture)Usually paired with だろう/でしょう to express conjecture. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| さも | as if it were really trueOften followed by かのように or そうだ, expressing a look or manner that is put on. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| そばから | as soon as... again (repeatedly) | V | N1 | |
| だに | even ...Nouns can be attached directly; verbs are limited to the dictionary form, and the pattern is mostly literary. | VN | N1 | |
| ってば | impatiently repeat oneselfNouns can also take ってば directly, to bring up a topic with emotion. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ではあるまいか | could it not be...?Na-adjectives and nouns take では directly, and のでは is also possible. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ではあるまいし | it's not as if... (so...)Verbs and i-adjectives must go through の or わけ before attaching ではあるまいし. | Vい-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| とあって | precisely because...For nouns and な-adjectives, だ is usually not added after the stem. | Vい-adjN | N1 | |
| とあれば | if it's the case that...Nouns usually attach directly, and である is not required. | Vい-adjN | N1 | |
| というか〜というか | should I say ... or ...Nouns and な-adjectives take the stem form; use the same form in both halves. | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| というわけだ | no wonder; that's whyという can often be omitted. Nouns usually take のわけだ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| というわけではない | it's not that...After na-adjectives and nouns, だ can often be omitted. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| といえども | even if...; while it may be...Nouns usually attach directly. Na-adjectives generally take だ or である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| といったらない | ... beyond words; incredibly ... | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| ときている | on top of being... (so of course)Na-adjectives and nouns attach directly, with no だ. | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| とされる | is considered to be...The だ after nouns and な-adjectives is often dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| としたって / としたところで | even if ..., it's no useNouns can attach directly: 彼女としたって. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とて | even if ... still; even ...Nouns usually attach directly. Na-adjectives take だ／である, not the stem. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とは | to think that... (expresses surprise)With nouns and な-adjectives, だ can often be omitted. The phrase can stand alone as a complete sentence. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とはいうものの | although ..., ...The plain form includes the ta-form and the negative. Nouns often drop だ. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| とばかりに | as if to say...What comes before と is quotable, sentence-final content, not limited to the dictionary form. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ともすれば | easily, often, apt toAdverbial; it is usually followed by a predicate expressing a tendency. | V | N1 | |
| ともなく | 見るともなく／どこへ行くともなく | unintentionally; from who knows whereThe same verb is often repeated, as in 見るともなく見る. After a question word, a particle such as から usually comes before ともなく, as in どこからともなく. | V | N1 |
| ともなると / ともなれば | once it reaches the stage of...Usually follows nouns such as time periods and social status; verbs are rare. | VN | N1 | |
| と思いきや | you'd think ..., but noAfter な-adjectives and nouns, だ/だった cannot be dropped. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ながらに / ながらの | 涙ながらに／昔ながらの | in (tears); same as it has always beenThis pattern is not very productive and mostly appears in fixed expressions. 涙 is a noun. | N | N1 |
| なり | as soon as ...Only attaches to the dictionary form of verbs. The た form is a different usage, indicating that a state is left as is. | V | N1 | |
| なり〜なり | ... or ... (or the like) | VN | N1 | |
| にあたらない | no need to...; not worth...Nouns take に directly, with no の in between. It often appears as にはあたらない. | VN | N1 | |
| にかたくない | not hard to...Usually appears in set phrases with 想像, 理解, and 察する. | VN | N1 | |
| にしたって | even if ... stillNa-adjectives and nouns take the stem form, without だ. | Vい-adj | N1 | |
| にたえる / にたえない | worth ...; can't bear ..., unbearableDoes not attach to the ta-form. The nouns it takes are mostly action nouns. | V | N1 | |
| には及ばない | no need to...; can't matchTwo meanings: 'no need to ...' and 'can't measure up to ...'. | VN | N1 | |
| にもほどがある | there's a limit to..., ... is going too farNouns are the most common thing to attach to this pattern. It criticizes something as excessive or outrageous. | Vい-adjN | N1 | |
| に引き換え | in contrast to, compared withNouns usually take に directly, but なのに is also possible. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| に至っても | even having reached the point of...Nouns attach directly, without adding だ. | VN | N1 | |
| に至る / に至った | finally reaching the point of...Use the dictionary form of the verb, not the た form. | VN | N1 | |
| に足りない | not worth ... | V | N1 | |
| に足る / に足りる | worth ...ing; enough to ...Nouns can attach directly (信頼に足る). Do not use the past form. | V | N1 | |
| のなんのって | can't tell you how ...This colloquial pattern stresses an extreme degree. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| べからず | must not ...; forbidden | V | N1 | |
| べく | in order to...With する, the usual form is すべく, not するべく. | V | N1 | |
| べくして | destined to happenThe same verb must appear on both sides of べくして, and the second one takes the た form. | V | N1 | |
| べくもない | impossible, no way to...With する, the usual form is すべくもない, not するべくもない. | V | N1 | |
| ほうがましだ | would be better to...The ない form counts as a plain form, not a negative stem. な-adjectives take な and nouns take の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| まじき | that should not exist or be doneFollowed by a noun. Mostly used in fixed expressions like あるまじき. | V | N1 | |
| までだ | will just ...; nothing more than ...The dictionary form means you have no choice but to do it; the ta-form means it's just that... | VN | N1 | |
| までもない | no need to...Often attaches to verbs like 言う or 見る, meaning there is no need to mention it. | V | N1 | |
| もので | because... (as an excuse)For nouns and な-adjectives, use な or だった, not だ or の. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ものとして | treat as..., regard as...Nouns usually take である. The plain form includes negatives. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ものと思われる | it is generally thought that...Formal written style; use である with な-adjectives and nouns. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ものを | yet... (regret, reproach)Often follows ばいい or ばよかった to express regret. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| や否や | as soon as ..., immediatelyAttaches only to the dictionary form of the verb, not the た form. | V | N1 | |
| ゆえに | because, due toFormal written style; nouns usually attach directly or take の／である. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| 可能性がある | there is a possibility that...Nouns usually take の; the plain negative form can also attach. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| 始末だ | end up with the unfortunate outcome that...Usually follows negative outcomes, and often appears as 「〜という始末だ」. | V | N1 | |
| 嫌いがある | has a (bad) tendencyUsually attaches to negative evaluations. With nouns, connect them using の. | VN | N1 | |
| 思いをする | experience a (often unpleasant) feelingSome existing explanations mistakenly treat 嫌な and 苦い as nouns. The pattern generally does not attach to nouns followed by の. | い-adjな-adj | N1 | |
| 折に | on the occasion of ...Mostly used in writing or formal settings, similar to 「際に」. | VN | N1 | |
| 羽目になる | end up in a situation where one has to...Attaches to the dictionary form, not the ta-form. Noun + の doesn't work. | V | N1 | |
| 限りだ | extremely... (with emotion)Expresses deep emotion; do not confuse with the range sense of 「～限り」. | い-adjな-adjN | N1 |
ba-form, hypothetical form7
Followed by ば, ばいい, ばよかった, or ば〜ほど.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書け
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べれ
- Suru (Type 3)すれ
- Kuru (Type 3)くれ
- i-adjective高けれ
- na-adjective静かなら（ば）
- noun学生なら（ば）
なら is the hypothetical form of the copula だ (だろ／だっ／で／に／だ／な／なら), on the same level as 高けれ, not an extra attachment. Extremely common in spoken Japanese: 「明日なら大丈夫」.
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ば | すれば／安ければ／学生なら | if... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N4 |
| ばいい | you should just... (suggestion)Don't confuse this with でいい, which means something is acceptable or sufficient. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| ばよかった | should have ... (regret)For negative regret, use なければよかった or でなければよかった. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N3 | |
| 〜ば〜ほど | the more ..., the more ...After であれば, use あるほど and don't repeat the original word. | Vい-adjな-adjN | N2 | |
| せめて | at least; if nothing elseOften used with expressions of desire or request such as たい or てほしい. | V | N2 | |
| ばこそ | precisely because ... | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 | |
| ばそれまでだ | once ..., it's all for nothing | Vい-adjな-adjN | N1 |
volitional form13
Ends in う／よう, and combines with と思う, とする, and としない.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書こう
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べよう
- Suru (Type 3)しよう
- Kuru (Type 3)こよう
- i-adjective——
- na-adjective——
- noun——
Adjectives and nouns have no slot here — to express conjecture, use 「高いだろう」 instead.
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| よ | informing the listener, emphasisIn polite speech, よ attaches after です／ます; in casual speech, だ can be dropped after na-adjectives and nouns. | V | N5 | |
| じゃないか | isn't it?; let's...The volitional form makes it an invitation. After noun and na-adjective stems, attach it directly without だ. | V | N4 | |
| と思う | think; considerNouns and な-adjectives take だ before と思う. The volitional form expresses an intention to do something. | V | N4 | |
| ようと思う | intend to... | V | N4 | |
| ようとしない | unwilling to do, refuse to... | V | N3 | |
| ようとする | on the verge of; try toOften appears as ようとした or ようとしている. | V | N3 | |
| せめて | at least; if nothing elseOften used with expressions of desire or request such as たい or てほしい. | V | N2 | |
| というふうに | in such a way as ...Often follows a list or a quotation to express the manner or situation. | V | N2 | |
| とも | even if ... stillNa-adjectives and nouns take であろうとも. であれ is a different pattern. | V | N2 | |
| ようではないか | formal proposal to do ... together | V | N2 | |
| ってば | impatiently repeat oneselfNouns can also take ってば directly, to bring up a topic with emotion. | V | N1 | |
| とは | to think that... (expresses surprise)With nouns and な-adjectives, だ can often be omitted. The phrase can stand alone as a complete sentence. | V | N1 | |
| とばかりに | as if to say...What comes before と is quotable, sentence-final content, not limited to the dictionary form. | V | N1 |
Imperative form4
A complete sentence on its own — nothing attaches after it.
Show forms and notes
- Godan (Type 1)書け
- Ichidan (Type 2)食べろ
- Suru (Type 3)しろ
- Kuru (Type 3)こい
- i-adjective——
- na-adjective——
- noun——
Written Japanese also has 食べよ・せよ: you'll see 「答えよ」 in exam questions, 「注意せよ」 in notices, and 「いずれにせよ」 in set phrases. When you need to produce the imperative yourself, always use 食べろ・しろ.
| Pattern | Example form | Meaning | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| よ | informing the listener, emphasisIn polite speech, よ attaches after です／ます; in casual speech, だ can be dropped after na-adjectives and nouns. | V | N5 | |
| というふうに | in such a way as ...Often follows a list or a quotation to express the manner or situation. | V | N2 | |
| ってば | impatiently repeat oneselfNouns can also take ってば directly, to bring up a topic with emotion. | V | N1 | |
| とばかりに | as if to say...What comes before と is quotable, sentence-final content, not limited to the dictionary form. | V | N1 |
Pronunciation on this page is AI-synthesized speech (Azure TTS), not a human recording.
