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Languages · Intermediate

Japanese JLPT N4 · Part 1: Building Up

The next step after our N5 course. Twenty-four lessons take you through the first half of the N4 grammar (casual speech, the potential and volitional forms, ～て しまう / みる / おく, conditionals, giving and receiving, commands, hearsay and ～そう), with about 400 new words and about 100 new kanji. Every lesson has words, grammar, kanji, a reading, JLPT-style listening with audio, practice exercises with answers, practice questions on every page and a quiz, and a review chapter follows every six lessons. Part 1 ends with a test on lessons 1–24; Part 2 takes you to the exam. Buy both parts together to save 20%. Listening audio voices: VOICEVOX:玄野武宏, VOICEVOX:春日部つむぎ, VOICEVOX:冥鳴ひまり.

What's inside

1Start here: how this part works and reference lists

Your study plan, the JLPT N4 exam, and the vocabulary, grammar and kanji lists.

  1. How this part works 10 min 🔒
  2. Vocabulary (by lesson) 5 min 🔒
  3. Vocabulary (あいうえお order) 5 min 🔒
  4. Sentence patterns 15 min 🔒
  5. Kanji list 5 min 🔒

2Lesson 1: About me

Review all the plain forms and use them in natural casual speech to introduce yourself and catch up with friends.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: ひさしぶり！ — the first day back 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 2 quiz 10 questions

3Lesson 2: Where I live

Describe your town and give several reasons with ～し、～し and examples with ～とか ～とか.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 私の 住んで いる 町 — Kim's blog 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 3 quiz 10 questions

4Lesson 3: What I can do

Say what you can and can't do with the potential form and ～ことが できる, and talk about sports and hobbies.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: スポーツクラブに 入る？ — Joining the sports club 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 4 quiz 10 questions

5Lesson 4: Getting better

Talk about progress in your studies with ～ように なる and ～なく なる, say what you can see and hear with 見える and 聞こえる, and describe what you saw or heard with ～のを 見る / 聞く.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: マイクの 日本の 一年 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 5 quiz 10 questions

6Lesson 5: It's open / it's broken

Use intransitive and transitive verb pairs to say what happened and who did it, and describe states with intransitive ～て います.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: だれが 入ったの？ 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 6 quiz 10 questions

7Lesson 6: Getting ready for a party

Talk about preparations with ～て あります (it has been done) and ～て おきます (do it in advance / leave it), including casual ～とく.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 山田さんの パーティーの じゅんび 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 7 quiz 10 questions

8Review 1: lessons 1–6

Review plain and casual speech, reasons with ～し and examples with ～とか, the potential form, 見える / 聞こえる and ～ように なる, verb pairs with ～て いる, and ～て ある / ～て おく.

  1. Vocabulary review 30 min 🔒
  2. Grammar review 30 min 🔒
  3. Reading: キムの ブログ：山の 町で 半年 15 min 🔒
  4. Listening test practice 20 min 🔒
  5. Practice 30 min 🔒
  6. Chapter 8 quiz 15 questions

9Lesson 7: Plans for the future

Talk about plans and intentions with the volitional form, ～ようと 思って います and ～よていです.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: A letter to my teacher 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 9 quiz 10 questions

10Lesson 8: Oops!

Talk about finishing things and about mistakes and accidents with ～て しまう and casual ～ちゃう / ～じゃう.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: A really bad day 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 10 quiz 10 questions

11Lesson 9: Let's try it

Talk about trying new things — food, clothes, places — with ～て みる, ～て みたい and ～て みて ください.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: Mike's blog: my first yakitori 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 11 quiz 10 questions

12Lesson 10: Just about to / just did

Say exactly where you are in an action with ところ, and that something has only just happened with ～た ばかり.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: マイクの ブログ「日本に 来た ばかりです」 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 12 quiz 10 questions

13Lesson 11: Coming and going

Show the direction of movement with ～て いく / ～て くる, say you'll go and do something and come back, and describe changes over time.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 駅前の 通り（中山） 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 13 quiz 10 questions

14Lesson 12: Maybe, must be

Say how sure you are with ～かもしれません (might), ～はずです (should be) and ～だろう (probably), and talk about the seasons and the weather.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 花火の 日の 天気 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 14 quiz 10 questions

15Review 2: lessons 7–12

Review plans with the volitional form and よてい, accidents and regrets with ～て しまう / ～ちゃう, trying things with ～て みる, timing with ところ and ばかり, ～て いく / ～て くる, and guesses with かもしれない, はず and だろう.

  1. Vocabulary review 30 min 🔒
  2. Grammar review 30 min 🔒
  3. Reading: リーさんの ブログ：日本の 一年 15 min 🔒
  4. Listening test practice 20 min 🔒
  5. Practice 30 min 🔒
  6. Chapter 15 quiz 15 questions

16Lesson 13: If and when

Talk about travel plans with ～たら (if / when), もし, and give advice with ～たら どうですか.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: A trip to Kitayama Village 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 16 quiz 10 questions

17Lesson 14: What should I do?

Make the ば-form, say "if" with ～ば and ～なければ, and ask for and give advice with ～ば いいですか.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: Question corner: how can I get better at conversation? 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 17 quiz 10 questions

18Lesson 15: When you press this…

Explain how machines work, what always happens, and how to get somewhere with ～と.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: An email: how to get to my house 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 18 quiz 10 questions

19Lesson 16: If it's Kyoto…

Pick up a topic and give advice with なら, and learn when to use たら, ば, と or なら.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 旅行の そうだん 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 19 quiz 10 questions

20Lesson 17: Even if

Say "even if / even though" with ～ても, "no matter what / how" with question word + ～ても, and give or ask permission with ～ても かまいません.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: また ちこく 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 20 quiz 10 questions

21Lesson 18: Easy to use

Describe things as easy or hard to use with ～やすい / ～にくい, talk about how to do things with ～方, and complain with ～すぎる.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 私の かばんの えらび方 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 21 quiz 10 questions

22Review 3: lessons 13–18

Review the four ways to say "if" (たら, ば, と, なら), "even if" with ～ても, and "easy / hard to do" with ～やすい / ～にくい, ～方 and ～すぎる.

  1. Vocabulary review 30 min 🔒
  2. Grammar review 30 min 🔒
  3. Reading: キムの ブログ：はじめての 京都 15 min 🔒
  4. Listening test practice 20 min 🔒
  5. Practice 30 min 🔒
  6. Chapter 22 quiz 15 questions

23Lesson 19: Doing things for people

Talk about giving, receiving and favours with くれる, ～て あげる, ～て くれる and ～て もらう.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: ひっこしの 日 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 23 quiz 10 questions

24Lesson 20: Asking a teacher a favour

Give, receive and ask favours politely with さしあげる, いただく, くださる, やる and ～て いただけませんか.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 研究室で 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 24 quiz 10 questions

25Lesson 21: House rules

Say what you want others to do with ～て ほしい and report requests and warnings with ～ように 言う／たのむ／ちゅういする.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 大川さんの 家の ルール 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 25 quiz 10 questions

26Lesson 22: Orders and signs

Read signs and understand strong commands with the imperative, prohibitive ～な and ～なさい.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 町の 注意書き （マイクの ブログ） 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 26 quiz 10 questions

27Lesson 23: I heard that…

Pass on news and things you have heard with ～そうです, ～に よると, ～と いう N and casual ～って.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: けさの ニュース 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 27 quiz 10 questions

28Lesson 24: Looks delicious

Say how things look and what seems about to happen with ～そうです, and tell it apart from hearsay ～そうです.

  1. Words 25 min 🔒
  2. Grammar 35 min 🔒
  3. Kanji 20 min 🔒
  4. Reading: 大川さんの たんじょうび （サラの ブログ） 15 min 🔒
  5. Listening 10 min 🔒
  6. Practice 20 min 🔒
  7. Chapter 28 quiz 10 questions

29Review 4: lessons 19–24

Review giving and receiving things and favours (plain and polite), polite requests, ～て ほしい and ～ように 言う, orders and signs, hearsay そう and appearance そう.

  1. Vocabulary review 30 min 🔒
  2. Grammar review 30 min 🔒
  3. Reading: たいふうの 夜 （リーの にっき） 15 min 🔒
  4. Listening test practice 20 min 🔒
  5. Practice 30 min 🔒
  6. Chapter 29 quiz 15 questions
  1. End-of-Part-1 test 110 questions