Great Japanese Grammar Resources and the Best Way to Learn!

One of the best ways to learn Japanese grammar is to follow along with a primary resource that systematically guides you through various grammar points and builds up your repertoire. Many great resources are available and most are structured by starting with the most basic elements, such as the copulas です (desu) and だ (da) which mean “is”.

For absolute beginners, before getting started, it is highly advisable to learn kana (hiragana and katakana), which are the two basic writing scripts in Japanese (see the desu and da examples above). Most grammar resources will present grammar points written in kana and in kanji as well, but note, you do not need to learn kanji before starting to learn grammar, just kana.

Another important thing to understand is that grammar is not learned in isolation. You should be learning kanji and vocabulary in parallel with grammar because they are all mutually supportive. In fact, I would recommend that you take a holistic approach and learn all the basic core elements of the language in parallel. Once you have the basics, acquiring additional grammar will be much easier.

Lists of grammar resources are provided below. The ones closer to the top are more comprehensive resources that teach all key areas of study for learning Japanese. The ones further down are more grammar guides – which are extensive lists of grammar points with explanations and example sentences. In general, they are arranged to start with basic forms first, then progress to more advanced forms.

Most focus exclusively on grammar, so it is up to you to learn vocabulary and kanji on your own. There is some variation in the progression of different resources. Some resources will follow JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) grammar levels, while others will focus more on teaching the most useful grammar points, those that are critical to daily life, as early as possible. Both types are effective.

Great Resources for Learning Japanese Grammar

Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese

Genki is a wonderful series of two carefully prepared textbooks suitable for absolute beginners that comprehensively covers the full beginner level of Japanese (in an entertaining way) with the focal point being the excellent grammar explanations. I have written in detail about Genki here, and where to go after Genki here.

JapanesePod101.com

JapanesePod101.com is an amazing resource for learning Japanese via delightful podcasts featuring realistic dialogues in Japanese as the core of the learning material. Jpod ranges from absolute beginner to advanced. I highly recommend you make it your constant companion over the course of your Japanese studies. I have written in detail about Jpod here.

Kanshudo

Kanshudo is a web-based sophisticated AI Japanese tutor that incorporates many tools for learning Japanese with a strong focus on learning kanji, but also has a rich inventory of grammar explanations, with each grammar point tagged by its JLPT level and practical usefulness. Kanshudo has a nice interface and the system is gamified. It also incorporates a textbook companion.

Bunpro

As the name suggests, the focus of Bunpro is grammar. And it is wonderful. It provides clear and detailed grammar explanations and lots of example sentences. Bunpro is a gamified system with a slick interface that is nice to use. It also incorporates a textbook companion. If you need extra help, handy links to other grammar learning resources are also provided.

*Although kanji is not taught in Bunpro, when used in combination with a kanji learning resource, it is sure to be really powerful. I have written about some excellent kanji learning resources here.

Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese

This is a popular, long-standing guide with great explanations. You will start by building a strong foundation in the basics of the language, such as learning to write, then proceed to learn basic and essential grammar forms. Special effort has been made to make this guide different from a textbook and teach learners the more casual aspects of Japanese.

JLPT Sensei

As the name suggests, this website’s main focus is to teach you the grammar (and kanji) required to pass all levels of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test! I have certainly made good use of it as I studied for various levels of the JLPT. Explanations of grammar forms are quick and easy to understand, and there are lots of example sentences. JLPT Sensei also offers downloadable guides and flashcards.

Japanesetest4you.com

This website is a fantastic resource for JLPT preparation. It’s another that I made good use of. Grammar forms for all levels of the JLPT are provided. The explanations are quick and easy, and come with lots of example sentences. In addition to grammar, required vocabulary and kanji are also presented. One of the best features of the site is the large number of test-like practice questions.

Maggie Sensei

The main idea here is to learn through example sentences, but one of the great features of Maggie Sensei is the focus on thoroughly highlighting the various meanings/nuances of grammar forms when used in different situations. For a given grammar form, each meaning/nuance is briefly stated then followed by several example sentences showing it in action.

Wasabi – Learn Japanese Online

Wasabi provides a grammar guide that ranges from the basics, to essential, to more advanced. Each grammar form is presented with a detailed explanation and many example sentences. The grammar guide is just one small part of Wasabi. It is an online Japanese learning platform offering several self-study resources and online lessons with tutors.

Tofugu – Japanese Grammar

Tofugu’s grammar guide focuses mainly on core basic and essential grammar. Explanations are provided as detailed long form articles with examples throughout. If you have not heard about Tofugu, it is one of the biggest names on the internet when it comes to resources for learning Japanese. And they are also the creators of Wanikani! Which is a delightful kanji learning platform that is a pleasure to use.

Sakubi: Yesterday’s Grammar Guide

This is a fun and cleverly written grammar guide that prioritizes fundamental and useful grammar forms. In the introduction, the author refers to it as a primer. The idea is to use the guide to learn grammar and work on things like vocabulary, kana, kanji and reading practice using other resources.

Imabi: Guided Japanese Mastery

Imabi is a very comprehensive grammar guide both in terms of the number of grammar forms covered and details of their explanations. The explanations are easy to understand and many example sentences are provided. The guide ranges from the absolute basics, to advanced topics that I would say even go beyond JLPT N1.

George Washington University’s Visualizing Japanese Grammar

This resource is a bit dated, but still good. It is formatted differently than the other guides in that explanations of grammar forms are presented as short, animated slide shows complete with audio. The main focus is on basic and essential grammar forms.

Grammar Resources in All Japanese

You will need to be somewhat proficient in Japanese to use the following resources because they are written in Japanese. But if you are at a point where you can read at an intermediate level, I recommend trying to learn this way. I found it to be both enjoyable and effective. You use your previously acquired Japanese skills to learn even more, and what you’ve learned gets constantly reinforced.

絵でわかる日本語

Edewakaru is one of my favorite resources! The explanations are succinct and lots of example sentences are provided. As the name suggests, the idea is to understand grammar through drawings of situations in which the grammar would be used. The drawings are quite charming and often funny.

The following are all guides organized by JLPT level.

日本語の例文

The English equivalent of the grammar point is provided.
Lots of example sentences.
Links to related grammar points.
There is also an associated YouTube channel, Easy Japanese with Yuri.

ちよさんぽ

Brief explanations in Japanese.
Lots of example sentences.
Links to related grammar points.

日本語教師のN1et

Brief explanations in Japanese (sometimes a little English).
Lots of example sentences.
Links to related grammar.

日本語教師たのすけのお助けブログ (This is a resource for Japanese teachers that provides guidance on the nuances of grammar and how to teach them to students.)

Brief explanations in Japanese.
Lots of example sentences.
Links to related grammar.

日本語NET

Comprehensive lists of grammar points.
Brief explanations in Japanese.
Lots of example sentences.

JLPT Guides

If your goal is to pass the JLPT (or even if it isn’t), then you might want to consider a dedicated JLPT guide. The benefit of these guides is that they are highly structured and cover JLPT grammar thoroughly in concert with the other aspects of the language, e.g. vocabulary, kanji, listening and reading. Below are 3 good guides.

Shin Kanzen Master
Sou Matome (paste “日本語総まとめ” into the search bar)
Nihongo no Mori

YouTube Resources for Japanese Grammar

Nihongo no Mori (I used Nihongo no Mori a lot as a supplement while studying for the JLPT)
Japanese Ammo with Misa
Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly

Grammar Dictionary

A dictionary of Japanese Grammar Series

Straight from the publisher: “This perennial bestseller presents around 200 grammar items for each of its three levels and thoroughly explains their pitfalls and how to distinguish them versus similar expressions.” These dictionaries are very comprehensive and well written. Grammar points are presented in あいうえお order.

How to Easily Supplement When You Need Further Explanation

Once you choose your primary learning resource(s) you will be spending most of your time there. But you will still need to supplement with other resources, this can be done with a quick search. In Google, for example, you can try searching the grammar structure as the keyword on its own, or “grammar structure + grammar”, e.g. “に関して grammar”. Or you can ask an AI chatbot such as ChatGPT.

The Best Way to Go About Learning Japanese Grammar

Let me start by sharing the grammar resources that I used. I started learning Japanese in a classroom setting and we used the Genki series of textbooks in my beginner classes. After my beginner classes I got the wonderful opportunity to work in Japan as an intern for 8 months. During that time, I started learning from lessons from JapanesePod101.com.

When I returned from Japan, I took intermediate classes; we used the textbook: An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese. Thereafter, I transitioned self-study on, and I went through the Tobira series of textbooks on my own. And after that, I focused on studying for the JLPT N3. I used Nihongo Sou Matome as my study guide. For the N2 and N1 levels, I used Shin Kanzen Master.

Let me emphasize that grammar is a cornerstone of learning Japanese and your foundation is important. The grammar that I use most often remains the grammar points that I learned from the Genki series textbooks and lessons from JapanesePod101.com. In fact, Jpod has been with me during my progression from lower intermediate to advanced.

Now let’s look at the actual process of learning and acquiring grammar. Grammar is not learned just by passively reading or listening to explanations about it, there are multiple steps to acquisition:

Receiving an explanation of a grammar form, either from a book, website, video, or explained live by a teacher.
Observing how it is used in example sentences.
Testing yourself to see if you can identify its correct usage (e.g. via textbook drills).
Practice making your own sentences in written form and spontaneously in spoken conversation.

Example sentences are crucial for getting a grasp on grammar, and if you still want more example sentences beyond your grammar guide, I have written about where to find them here. Reading explanations about grammar and doing drills might be enough to pass a written test, but if your goal is to be proficient in unstructured real-life situations, you need to practice.

This is why I recommend that you always take private lessons to supplement self-study if you are not in a classroom. And importantly, you want to flip the classroom. Do the reading and prep-work on your own, do the real practice with your teacher. One great place to find a teacher is on italki. I have written about the benefits of using italki here.

Finally, once again returning to the point that Japanese is learned holistically, supplement your grammar studies with reading, listening and writing practice as you go. This is to expose you to how grammar is used in real contexts. I have written about reading your way to proficiency here, and I provide a big list of podcasts for every level here. Writing can be a bit more of a challenge, but you can do it by taking advantage of a great service like LangCorrect, which I have written about here.

Here are some links to articles in which I have written about specific uses of certain grammar structures: