Japanese grammar cheat sheet

High-value patterns, organized for fast reference.

A growing cheat sheet for the grammar that shows up constantly in everyday Japanese. Use it to quickly refresh a pattern, compare common forms, and find natural examples with furigana.

the one rule

Alive or not alive?

That is the decision. Use いる for people and animals. Use ある for objects, places, events, and ideas.

Living things

いる

People, animals, bugs, pets—things that are alive.

Objects & non-living things

ある

Things, buildings, plans, time, events, and abstract stuff.

Quick memory hook: pet? person? animal? → いる. Everything else → ある.

say the full matrix

Four forms. Two verbs. Eight useful sentences.

You do not need to consciously memorize a giant rule. Practice these four time / polarity slots until the pattern comes out automatically.

Now present Not now negative Before past Not before past negative

Living things

いる

Now

犬いぬがいる。

There is a dog.
Not now

犬いぬがいない。

There is no dog.
Before

犬いぬがいた。

There was a dog.
Not before

犬いぬがいなかった。

There was no dog.

Objects & non-living things

ある

Now

ペンがある。

There is a pen.
Not now

ペンがない。

There is no pen.
Before

ペンがあった。

There was a pen.
Not before

ペンがなかった。

There was no pen.
Say it as a rhythm: いる・いない・いた・いなかった / ある・ない・あった・なかった

plain-verb pattern

する: the generic casual “do.”

する is the most useful first action verb because it means “do.” Once these four forms feel automatic, you can use the same time-and-negation map with other verbs.

Casual form

する

Now

する。

I do.
Before

した。

I did.
Not now

しない。

I do not do.
Not before

しなかった。

I did not do.

Put a noun before it

Make real sentences.

VerbPresentPastNegativePast negative
いるいるいたいないいなかった
あるあるあったないなかった
するするしたしないしなかった

The point: first master these four slots for one verb. Then carry that pattern to verbs such as 食たべる, 行いく, and 見みる. Japanese conjugation becomes much more systematic once you stop treating every form as a separate word.

conjugation matrices

Verb groups and adjectives at a glance.

Start by recognizing the type. The four casual slots stay consistent; the stem changes by verb group. The て-form is included because it unlocks connectors, requests, and multi-action sentences.

verbs

Three verb groups

TypeDictionaryNegativePastPast negativeて-form
Group 1
う-verbs読よむ読よまない読よんだ読よまなかった読よんで
Group 2
る-verbs食たべる食たべない食たべた食たべなかった食たべて
Irregularするしないしたしなかったして
Irregular来くる来こない来きた来こなかった来きて

Group 1: change the final sound

For the negative, shift the final う-sound to the あ-row, then add ない: 読よむ → 読よまない. Past and て-forms have several sound patterns, so learn them in families.

読よむ → 読よんだ / 読よんで　・ 書かく → 書かいた / 書かいて

Group 2: remove る

Drop る, then add the ending: 食たべる → 食たべない / 食たべた / 食たべて. Many verbs ending in -いる or -える are Group 2, but not all.

見みる → 見みない / 見みた / 見みて

High-value exceptions: 行いく is Group 1, but its past / て-form is 行いった / 行いって. Also, some -いる / -える verbs are still Group 1: 帰かえる, 入はいる, 走はしる, 切きる, and 知しる.
adjectives

Two adjective patterns

TypeNowNot nowBeforeNot before
い-adjective高たかい高たかくない高たかかった高たかくなかった
な-adjective静しずかだ静しずかじゃない静しずかだった静しずかじゃなかった

い-adjectives: change the final い

高たかい → 高たかくない / 高たかかった / 高たかくなかった. The final い changes before the ending.

な-adjectives: use だ-style endings

Before a noun, add な: 静しずかな部屋へや (“a quiet room”). At the end of a casual sentence, use だ or its related forms.

The important exception: いい

いい means “good,” but its changed forms use よ: いい → よくない / よかった / よくなかった.

Fast recognition rule: identify the verb group or adjective type first. Then choose the time / polarity slot. Do not try to memorize every finished form as a separate word.

core verb tenses and wants

One verb, the forms used constantly.

Use this as a compact form map. The first four are the basic casual time / polarity slots; the rest express an ongoing action or a desire.

MeaningPatternExample
do / will do～る食たべる
did～た食たべた
do not～ない食たべない
did not～なかった食たべなかった
am / is doing～ている食たべている
was doing～ていた食たべていた
want to do～たい食たべたい
want to keep doing～ていたい見みていたい

Plain form can cover now or later.

食たべる can mean “eat” or “will eat”; context supplies the time. Add a time word when needed: 今夜こんや食たべる (“I will eat tonight”).

Casual contractions

～ている → ～てる, ～ていたい → ～てたい, and ～てしまう → ～ちゃう are common in speech and casual writing.

want to do

～たい: the full “want to” set.

Attach たい to the verb’s stem to say what you want to do. Once attached, たい conjugates like an い-adjective—not like the original verb.

MeaningPatternWith 食たべる
present affirmative～たい食たべたい
past affirmative～たかった食たべたかった
present negative～たくない食たべたくない
past negative～たくなかった食たべたくなかった

Build it from the stem.

Verb stem + たい makes the affirmative present form. The stem is the verb without dictionary る for Group 2 verbs, or the ます-stem for the other groups.

食たべる → 食たべたいeat → want to eat
見みる → 見みたいsee / watch → want to see / watch
行いく → 行いきたいgo → want to go
飲のむ → 飲のみたいdrink → want to drink
話はなす → 話はなしたいspeak → want to speak
する → したいdo → want to do
来くる → 来きたいcome → want to come

Conjugate it like an い-adjective.

Keep the stem, then change the ending exactly as you would with an い-adjective.

たい → たかったwant to → wanted to
たい → たくないwant to → do not want to
たい → たくなかったwant to → did not want to

This is why 食たべたかった is “wanted to eat,” not a past form made directly from 食たべる.

Fast check: start with the stem and add たい. For “wanted,” “do not want,” and “did not want,” conjugate that final たい like an い-adjective.

where it is

Use に for the location of existence.

With いる and ある, the place uses に. The thing that exists normally uses が.

placeにthingがいる / ある

Why not で? で marks where an action happens. に marks where something exists. A cat is not “doing” existence—it is simply there.

counting things

Counters: learn the useful ones as you need them.

Japanese usually counts with a number plus a unit word, called a counter. English does a smaller version of this with “two sheets of paper,” “three pairs of shoes,” or “four cups of coffee.” You do not need a giant counter chart before you can speak.

thingがnumber + counterいる / ある

Read it as a chunk: 三匹さんびき is “three small-animal units.” The counter tells you what kind of thing is being counted; the noun can come first, as in 猫ねこが三匹さんびきいる.

匹ひき: small animals

Use it for animals such as cats, dogs, and fish. Its sound sometimes changes next to certain numbers.

一匹いっぴきone
二匹にひきtwo
三匹さんびきthree
六匹ろっぴきsix

Treat these as sounds to recognize, not a phonology test. Hearing いっぴき and ろっぴき often is what makes them automatic.

Start with the counters you will reuse.

Pick up a counter when it solves a real sentence you want to say. The same small set comes back constantly in normal life.

人にんpeople
匹ひきsmall animals
台だいcars & machines
枚まいflat things
本ほんlong / cylindrical things
個こsmall objects
Practical rule: do not try to memorize every counter at once. Learn 一匹いっぴき when you need “one cat,” 二台にだい when you need “two cars,” and keep collecting the high-frequency chunks you actually encounter. If a specialized counter is missing, context or a rephrasing will often carry the conversation.

pick one from a group

“One of…”: name the group, then the one.

To point out one item from a known group, use Xの中なかの (“among / within X”) plus the right counter. The whole phrase can then be the subject of the sentence.

Animals: use 匹ひき

groupの中なかのone + counter

Things: change the counter.

The group pattern stays the same; the counter changes with what is being counted.

“Has” often uses existence: 猫ねこの中なかの一匹いっぴきには斑点はんてんがあった is built as “as for one of the cats, a spot existed.” This is a common Japanese route for English “X has Y.”

when the group is already clear

Usually, the shorter version is enough.

After you have established the group, Japanese does not need to repeat 猫ねこの中なかの. Use the counter phrase by itself and let context do the work.

Fast choice: use Xの中なかの一匹いっぴき / 一台いちだい when you need to explicitly say “one of X.” Once X is already in the conversation, use 一匹いっぴきは～ or 一台いちだいは～ for a lighter, more natural description.

particle focus

も: mark the thing you are adding.

Rather than placing a fixed Japanese word for “also,” ask what is being added to the conversation. Put も on that chunk: “X too / X also.”

Replace は / が / を

For these basic roles, も takes their place. The noun right before it is the added thing.

Keep に / で: にも / でも

These particles still carry needed location, destination, or action-setting information, so も follows them.

NormalAdd “too / also”
はも
がも
をも
ににも
ででも
The useful check: 妻つまも says “my wife too.” 妻つまとジムにも says “the gym too, with my wife.” 色々いろいろな食たべ物ものも says “various foods too.” も attaches to the specific thing you are adding.

what this really means

“There is” and “I have” are the same basic pattern.

Japanese often does not need a separate verb for possession. Context handles it.

connectors, time, and sentence flow

Link actions, descriptions, and ideas.

These compact patterns do most of the work when you want a sentence to move beyond one simple statement.

～て — and / then

Connect actions in a sequence.

～た後あと / ～てから — after

～た後あと means “after doing”; ～てから emphasizes “do A, then B.”

Description + で / くて

Use で after nouns and な-adjectives; use くて after い-adjectives.

から / ので / けど

から: because. ので: a softer because. けど: but / though.

Time: から / まで / までに

から = from; まで = until / up to; までに = by a deadline.

Direction and means: に / まで / で

に marks a destination; まで is “as far as”; で can be “by means of.”

一緒いっしょに — together

Add it before the action to say “together.”

～のために — for / for the sake of

Marks purpose or benefit.

core sentence patterns

The patterns that keep showing up.

These high-payoff structures appear constantly in casual conversations, media, texts, and everyday writing. Treat each one as a recognition tool: see the shape, then read what it is doing in the sentence.

～てから

Do A, then B.

～たら

When / once A happens…

～た後あとで / その後あと

After… / after that.

～ている / ～てる

Ongoing action or current state. ～てる is the casual contraction.

～てくる — toward here / back here

Use it when an action or movement comes toward the speaker’s reference point. 来くる means “come”; attached after a て-form, it can express “do X, then come back here.”

How to parse it

見みる→見みて+来きます→見みてきます

彼女かのじょの様子ようすを見みてきます。 means “I’ll go check on her and come back.” The て-form connects 見みる to 来くる; it is not one giant verb to memorize.

買かってくるgo buy it and come back取とってくるgo get it and come back見みてくるgo check / look and come back

帰かえった simply says “returned home.” 帰かえってきた highlights the return to where the speaker is—for example, back to the home or place you are talking from.

～たい

Want to do.

～か分わからない / ～か知しってる

Embedded questions: a whole question becomes the thing you know or do not know.

から / で

から gives a reason. で can mark a cause or circumstance.

は vs が

は sets a topic or contrast. が introduces or identifies the thing.

Once a topic is clear, Japanese often leaves it unstated. Bring は back when the topic changes; use が when identifying new information or the subject inside an embedded / modifying clause.

Verb + noun

Plain verb forms can sit directly before a noun and describe it.

～の方ほうが

“A is more … than B” / preference comparison.

Verb stem + 方かた

How to do something.

Useful casual chunks

High-frequency phrases worth recognizing as whole units.

Prioritize these first: ～てから, ～たら, その後あと, reason markers, いる / ある, ～ている, ～てくる, ～たい, embedded questions, は / が, modifiers, 方かた, and plain conjugations. Together, these shapes unlock a large share of everyday Japanese.

casual topic marker and quotation

って: bring something up, or quote it.

This spoken marker is extremely common in casual Japanese. It is not the て-form of a verb. Think of it as a flexible, conversational “speaking of…” or as a casual quotation marker.

1. Topic: “speaking of…”

Use it when bringing up something already on your mind or gently shifting to a topic. It often feels friendlier and more conversational than a bare noun.

アニメは好すき？ is also natural: it simply marks anime as the topic. アニメって好すき？ has a more spoken, “by the way / speaking of anime” feel.

2. Quote words or a whole sentence

Put って after the words being said, heard, thought, or reacted to. In casual speech, 言いう is sometimes left understood.

Fast recognition rule: after a noun at the start of a question, って often introduces the topic. After words or a sentence, it often means “that…” / “quoted as…”. It is everyday spoken Japanese—not slang—but is less suited to formal writing.

simultaneous actions and time periods

Two useful ways to say “while.”

English uses while broadly. Japanese separates two ideas: doing two actions at the same time, and something happening during a period of time.

～ながら

Doing two things simultaneously.

Usually, the same person does both actions. Attach ながら to the verb’s ます-stem.

verb ます-stemながらmain action

～間あいだ

During the time that…

Use 間 to frame an activity or state as a time period. The action during that period can have a different person doing it.

time-period clause間what happened during it

ながら form check

Use the ます-stem, not the dictionary form.

dictionary見みる✕ 見みるながら
ます-stem見み✓ 見みながら

More than two actions

Chain a て-form into one ながら phrase.

When several things are part of the same stretch of time, use the て-form to add an action, then use ながら for the action happening alongside the main one. This often reads more naturally than repeating ながら.

Aて→Bながら→main action
Natural, varied rhythmコーヒーを飲のんでYouTubeを見みながら仕事しごとをした。
More continuous emphasisコーヒーを飲のみながらYouTubeを見みながら仕事しごとをしていた。

Punctuation note: Japanese generally uses fewer commas than English. A comma after a time opener such as 10時じから、 is optional; the sentence is natural without it.

Quick distinction: ～ながら asks, “What two actions are happening together?” ～間 asks, “What happened during that time period?”

next high-value patterns

Useful patterns to recognize and add next.

These are common building blocks for everyday conversation, media, and casual writing. Learn the meaning first, then collect examples in the wild.

あげる / くれる / もらう

A useful three-way set for talking about a transfer or favor. The key is not the object—it is the camera angle.

あげるgive to someone
くれるsomeone gives to me / my side
もらうreceive from someone

Same event. Different camera angle. くれる describes it from the giver’s action toward me; もらう describes it from my receiving side.

～ようになる → ～ようになりたい

～ようになる means “become able to / come to.” To say you want that change, attach ～たい to the final verb: なる → なりたい.

potential form + ようになる → potential form + ようになりたい

日本語にほんごを話はなしたい。I want to speak Japanese.
日本語にほんごが話はなせるようになりたい。I want to become able to speak Japanese.

Build it from the inside out:

話はなすspeak
話はなせるcan speak
話はなせるようになるbecome able to speak
話はなせるようになりたいwant to become able to speak

～ように is different: it often means “so that / in order to,” as in 忘わすれないように書かいた。 — “I wrote it down so I would not forget.”

noun + に + なる — become / turn into

なる means “become.” Put に after a noun or a noun-like state: [state] + に + なる. In the past, なる → なった: “became / turned into.”

凄すごい describes the rain as intense or extreme here; it does not literally mean “a lot of rain.”

～しか～ない — only

Put しか after what is limited, then use a negative predicate.

～てしまう

Can mean finishing completely, or an unwanted / regrettable result. Casual: ～ちゃう.

～なら / ～ば — if

なら often means “if that is the case”; ば is another conditional form.

～のに / ～はず

のに = even though / despite; はず = should be / is expected to be.

～らしい / ～ようだ

らしい = apparently / I hear; ようだ = it seems / appears.

～ことになる / ～ことにする

A decision is made / decide to do.

～ておく / ～ばかり

Do in advance / have just done.

～ようとする — be about to

Shows an action at the point of beginning.

diary-ready patterns

Diary patterns that make a day sound lived-in.

These are high-value ways to narrate what happened, what you noticed, what you thought, and what you want to do next. They work especially well in short casual diary entries.

だった — “was”

The past of casual だ. Compare: だ → だった; polite: です → でした.

～と思おもった — “I thought…”

Put the thought before と, then say 思った.

～みたい — “seems like…”

An everyday “it seems / looks like” pattern.

嬉うれしそうみたい is redundant here. Choose one: 嬉うれしそう (“looks happy”) or 嬉うれしいみたい (“seems happy”).

～そう — “looks…”

Use it for a visible impression: what something appears to be.

～かな — “I wonder…”

A soft, casual thought to yourself.

気きがついたら — “before I knew it…”

For time passing without you noticing.

久ひさしぶりに — “for the first time in a while”

Use it for something you have not done recently.

～られた — “was able to…”

The potential form can add a quiet sense of gratitude or relief in a diary.

～ので / ～けど / ～し

Three useful connectors: softer because, but, and “and also.”

～たり～たりする — “do things like…”

Lists representative actions, not an exhaustive list.

～ようと思おもう — “I’m thinking of…”

A gentle way to write an intention or next step.

～って言いう / ～って言いった / ～って言いってた

Casual reported speech: says / said / had said.

～か分わからない

An embedded question: “I do not know [question].”

diary time words

今朝けさthis morning
その後あとafter that
それからthen
その頃ころaround then
まだstill
もうalready

Diary writing formula

Seven patterns can carry most entries.

  1. What happened: set the timeline.
  2. ～だった — describe the day.
  3. ～と思おもった — add what you thought.
  4. ～そう — add what you noticed.
  5. ～かな — add what you wondered.
  6. ～けど — add contrast.
  7. ～って言いった — add what someone said.

Those seven patterns turn a plain event log into an actual little journal: sequence, observation, thought, uncertainty, contrast, and voice.

fast self-check

Before you speak, ask one tiny question.

  1. Is the thing alive? Yes → いる. No → ある.
  2. When? Now: いる / ある. Before: いた / あった.
  3. Does it exist? Yes: normal form. No: いない / ない.
That’s it. If you can produce these eight forms without stopping to think, you have one of Japanese’s most common verb patterns locked in.