JLPT N2 Grammar Checklist: The Curated List
The JLPT N2 grammar checklist below collects roughly 130 grammar points, grouped by theme. Standard upper-intermediate textbooks treat these points as new at N2, beyond what N3 already covers.12 Each point gets a one-line orientation and a pointer to its full deep dive. This page routes you to the grammar; it does not teach it.
How to use this checklist
Every row names one grammar point, says briefly what it is, and explains why it is new or tested at N2. The fourth column links to the canonical article that teaches the point in full.
This page orients and routes. It does not explain how a form is built or drill its uses; that work lives in the linked articles. Treat each row as a pointer, and check off a point once you have studied its article.31
N2 is the register-and-formality jump on the JLPT ladder. Where N3 was largely conversational, the N2 inventory is dominated by formal and written-register patterns, compound-particle escalations, and classical survivals. It also demands fluent keigo production. Grouping by theme, rather than alphabetically, lets you attack one system at a time.124
The "~130 new" figure is a textbook consensus, not an official JLPT count. It is also a delta: it counts only what is new at N2, since N2 also tests every N3, N4, and N5 grammar point.312 No official N2 grammar list exists. See "What 'N2 grammar' really means" below for why.
Many compiled JLPT references split the formal and classical-derived patterns across the N2/N1 border. The bare productive ～ぬ and ～ざる outside set phrases, recognition-only まじ / まじき and ～だに, and the literary ～つつ(も) / ～ながらも all reappear on many N1 lists. Because no official list exists, these straddle the border. This checklist routes by upper-intermediate textbook scope and flags each one inline.35
The N2 grammar checklist
Compound and formal-noun particles (に関して, について, に対して, によって, にとって)
The noun-plus-に compound particles are the written-register backbone of N2 reading. The five base particles below are largely review anchors carried over from N3 scope. The formal escalations built on them are the N2-new layer.16
| Grammar point | What it is | Why it is new or tested at N2 | Canonical article |
|---|---|---|---|
| ～に関して / ～に関する | "Concerning / regarding / with respect to (formal, written)"; marks the topic of a formal statement or investigation | The formal-written sibling of について; squarely N2 reading register | The に関して Compound Particle: Concerning / Regarding (Formal) |
| ～について / ～についての | "About / regarding"; marks the topic a statement or inquiry is directed at | Review anchor (introduced in N3 scope); included as the family base | The について Compound Particle: About / Regarding |
| ～に対して / ～に対する | "Toward / against / in contrast to"; the target of an attitude or action, or a contrast | Review anchor (N3 scope); the contrastive sense is reinforced at N2 | The に対して Compound Particle: Toward / In Contrast |
| ～によって / ～により / ～による | "By means of / depending on / by (agent) / due to"; a multi-sense compound particle | Review anchor (N3 scope); the formal による attributive and "due to" sense are reinforced | The によって Compound Particle: By Means of, Depending on |
| ～にとって / ～にとっての | "For X / from X's perspective"; frames a judgment as one party sees it | Review anchor (N3 scope) | The にとって Compound Particle: For X / From X's Perspective |
The N2-new layer is the formal escalation of this family. It includes ～に応じて / ～に応じた ("in accordance with, adjusting to"), ～に基づいて / ～に基づく ("based on / on the basis of"), ～をめぐって / ～をめぐる ("concerning a contested issue"), ～に伴って / ～に伴い ("accompanying / along with a concurrent change"), and ～にあたって / ～にあたり ("on the occasion of / when undertaking a significant action"). These are formal and journalistic staples, but none has a dedicated J-Compass article yet.125
Conjunctive and concessive patterns (あげく, かぎり, かのように, どころか, ばかりか, ばかりに, ものの, にもかかわらず)
This is the conjunctive set named in the source scope, plus the N2 concessives. Several rows sit on the N3/N2 border and are flagged in the N3 checklist as leaning N2. Here they are core N2.12
| Grammar point | What it is | Why it is new or tested at N2 | Canonical article |
|---|---|---|---|
| ～あげく / ～末に | "After a long process, in the end (often a negative outcome)"; stresses a drawn-out lead-up | The negative-outcome inference is upper-intermediate | ～あげく / ～末に: After All That (Negative Outcome) |
| ～かぎり / ～ないかぎり | "As long as / to the extent that," and negative "unless"; a boundary condition | N3/N2 border; sits as core N2 here | ～かぎり / ～ないかぎり: As Long As / Unless |
| ～かのように / ～かのような | "As if / as though (explicitly counterfactual resemblance)"; an unreal likeness | N3/N2 border; sits as core N2 here | ～かのように / ～かのような: How to Say "As If" in Japanese (the Counterfactual Resemblance) |
| ～どころか | "Far from / let alone / on the contrary"; reverses an expectation toward the stronger opposite | The expectation-reversal contrast is upper-intermediate | ～どころか (dokoroka): Far From / Let Alone |
| ～ばかりか | "Not only X (but also Y)"; adds an unexpected further element | Commonly classed N2 in compiled lists | ～ばかりか and ～ばかりに: Not Only / Just Because (in Japanese) |
| ～ばかりに | "Just because / simply because (with an unfortunate result)"; a bad-result cause clause | The undesirable-consequence causal sense is upper-intermediate | ～ばかりか and ～ばかりに: Not Only / Just Because (in Japanese) |
| ～ものの | "Although / even though (concessive, formal-leaning)"; concedes a fact the main clause runs against | A formal concessive beyond N3's けれど / のに | ～ものの: "Although / Even Though" in Japanese |
| ～にもかかわらず | "In spite of / despite / regardless of"; a strong formal concessive | Formal-written register concessive | ～にもかかわらず: How to Say "In Spite Of" Formally in Japanese |
One more concessive in this group has a dedicated home: ～ながらも ("while / even though," the concessive sense of ながら, formal-leaning). It is covered in The ～ながら Form in Japanese: Doing Two Things at Once (and the Concessive ～ながら(も)). Two others have no dedicated J-Compass article yet: ～つつ / ～つつも ("while / even though," a literary 〜ながら that straddles the N2/N1 line) and ～くせに ("even though / despite," a concessive carrying a critical or blaming tone).125
Classical-derived and bungo-survival patterns (がたい, ぬ / ざる, べき, まじ, focus particles こそ / さえ / すら / だに)
This is the bungo-survival layer, meaning survivals from classical Japanese, and it is the defining feature of the N2 jump. These rows form a single classical system rather than isolated forms. The learning task is recognizing register and source as much as meaning.57
| Grammar point | What it is | Why it is new or tested at N2 | Canonical article |
|---|---|---|---|
| ～がたい / ～難い | "Hard to / difficult to (lexical or inner-judgment difficulty)"; a classical-stem suffix on the 連用形, more formal and literary than modern ～にくい | Classical-derived formal suffix from bungo 難し (かたし) | Classical Grammar Survivals in Modern Japanese |
| ～ぬ / ～ん | "Not (classical negative auxiliary)"; the 連体形 ぬ of bungo negation ず and its moraic-nasal variant ん, surviving in proverbs and set phrases | Classical negative recognition; bare productive ～ぬ outside idioms leans N1 | Classical Grammar Survivals in Modern Japanese |
| ～ざる / ～ざるをえない | "Not (classical attributive negative)" / "cannot help but / have no choice but to," parsed as ざる + を + 得ない | Classical-derived formal negative; ～ざるをえない is a high-frequency N2 staple, while bare ～ざる leans N1 | Classical Grammar Survivals in Modern Japanese |
| べき / べきだ / べきではない | "Should / ought to / must (and its negation)"; the modern survival of classical べし, attaching after the 終止形 | Classical-derived obligation auxiliary distinct from ほうがいい | The Classical Auxiliary べき: Should/Must (Modern Use) |
| まじ / まじき | "Must not / unbecoming (archaic negative-potential / prohibitive)"; survives mainly in the 連体形 まじき in set phrases | Recognition-only at N2; productive use is rare, and it leans N1 | The Auxiliary まじ: Archaic "Mustn't" Surviving in Modern Set Phrases |
| こそ | "Precisely / it is exactly X that (emphatic focus)"; singles out and emphasizes the marked element | Emphatic focus particle for formal and rhetorical register | Focus Particles: こそ, さえ, すら, だに |
| さえ | "Even / so much as," and with a conditional "if only / as long as"; a scalar focus particle | Scalar focus plus the さえ…ば "if only" conditional | Focus Particles: こそ, さえ, すら, だに |
| すら | "Even (formal / literary equivalent of さえ)"; an emphatic scalar focus particle | Formal-written register | Focus Particles: こそ, さえ, すら, だに |
| だに | "Even (archaic / literary scalar focus)"; heavily literary, largely set-phrase (e.g. 想像だにしない) | Recognition-only at N2; leans formal / literary and N1 | Focus Particles: こそ, さえ, すら, だに |
The classical-derived rows descend from one bungo, or classical Japanese, system. がたい comes from 難し (かたし), ぬ and ざる both from the negation ず, べき from べし, and まじき from まじ.
Cause, condition, and circumstance connectives (につれて, にしたがって, にしては, にしても, ようでは)
These are the N2 reasoning and conditional connectives. Most sit on the N3/N2 border and appear as leaning-N2 rows in the N3 checklist. They are placed here as core N2.12
| Grammar point | What it is | Why it is new or tested at N2 | Canonical article |
|---|---|---|---|
| ～につれて / ～につれ | "As X progresses, Y changes in step"; a proportional concurrent-change connector | N3/N2 border; core N2 here | ～につれて / ～にしたがって: As X Progresses |
| ～にしたがって / ～にしたがい | "In accordance with / as X proceeds"; proportional-change and compliance, formal-leaning | N3/N2 border; the formal にしたがい leans N2 | ～につれて / ～にしたがって: As X Progresses |
| ～にしては | "Considering / for (being) X (contrary to expectation)"; a judgment that clashes with a stated standard | N3/N2 border | ～にしては: How to Say "Considering" or "For (Being) X" in Japanese |
| ～にしても | "Even considering / regardless of / even if"; a concessive over a supposed or actual case | N3/N2 border | ～にしても: How to Say "Even Considering" or "Regardless Of" in Japanese |
| ～ようでは | "If a poor state of affairs continues, then a bad result"; a critical conditional | The negative-evaluation conditional is upper-intermediate | ～ようでは: How to Say "If You Keep Doing It This Way" in Japanese (the Critical Conditional) |
Several high-frequency N2 connectives belong here but have no dedicated J-Compass article yet. They include ～次第 (に / で / だ) ("as soon as / depending on / it is up to," a multi-sense formal pattern), ～あまり (に) ("out of an excess of emotion / so much that"), ～せいか ("perhaps because of an unfavorable cause"), and ～につけ(て) ("every time / whenever").125
Explanatory and conclusion enders (わけだ, わけではない / わけがない / わけにはいかない, ものだ / ものではない)
This is the N2 explanatory-ender machinery. The わけだ row and the ものだ row sit on the N3/N2 line. The わけ-family negatives are core N2.16
| Grammar point | What it is | Why it is new or tested at N2 | Canonical article |
|---|---|---|---|
| ～わけだ | "That's why / it follows that / no wonder"; presents a logically derived conclusion | N3/N2 border; the logical-conclusion ender | ～わけだ: How to Say "That's Why / It Follows That" in Japanese (Logical Conclusion) |
| ～わけではない | "It's not that / it doesn't (necessarily) mean"; a partial-negation ender | Upper-intermediate partial negation | The わけ-Family Negatives: ～わけではない, ～わけがない, ～わけにはいかない |
| ～わけがない | "There's no way / it can't possibly be"; a strong-impossibility ender | Upper-intermediate strong negation | The わけ-Family Negatives: ～わけではない, ～わけがない, ～わけにはいかない |
| ～わけにはいかない | "Can't (for social or moral reasons) / mustn't"; an obligation-driven negation ender | Upper-intermediate social-obligation negation | The わけ-Family Negatives: ～わけではない, ～わけがない, ～わけにはいかない |
| ～ものだ / ～ものではない | "(General truth) / (one should not) / used to (nostalgia)"; the multi-sense もの ender | The general-truth, moral-advice, and nostalgic senses are intermediate | ～ものだ / ～ものではない: General Truths, Nostalgia, and Moral Advice |
More enders cluster here without a dedicated J-Compass article yet. They include ～ことだ ("should / had better," an advice ender), ～ものか / ～もんか ("as if I would / there's no way," an emphatic rhetorical refusal), ～しまつだ / ～始末だ ("it ended up in the sorry state of," a negative-outcome ender), and ～ところだった ("almost / nearly," a counterfactual near-miss that sits on the N3/N2 border).125
Honorifics and the formal register (sonkeigo, kenjogo, asymmetric uchi-soto, business keigo)
The keigo system (honorific language) is introduced in N3 scope, but N2 reading and the workplace register demand fluent recognition and production. These rows are review-to-mastery anchors, not strictly new forms.14
| Grammar point | What it is | Why it is tested at N2 | Canonical article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keigo system overview | How honorific (尊敬語), humble (謙譲語), and polite (丁寧語) verbs conjugate, and when to select each | Anchor: the system is N3-introduced; N2 reading and business contexts demand fluency | Keigo Grammar Overview: How to Conjugate Honorific, Humble, and Polite Verbs |
| お + 連用形 + になる | The productive 尊敬語 honorific frame | Anchor: productive sonkeigo, demanded in formal production | O + Verb Stem + Ni Naru (お〜になる): The Productive Sonkeigo Honorific Form |
| お + 連用形 + する | The productive 謙譲語 humble frame | Anchor: productive kenjogo | O + Verb Stem + Suru (お〜する): The Productive Kenjōgo Humble Form |
| 尊敬語 via ～(ら)れる | The passive form reused as a light honorific | Anchor: the honorific reading of れる / られる, common in formal speech | Sonkeigo via the Passive Form (～られる) |
| Irregular 尊敬語 verbs | Suppletive honorific verbs (いらっしゃる, 召し上がる, おっしゃる, なさる, ご覧になる, くださる) | Anchor: fluent recognition required for reading and listening | Irregular Sonkeigo Verbs (いらっしゃる, 召し上がる, おっしゃる) |
| Irregular 謙譲語 verbs | Suppletive humble verbs (伺う, 参る, 申す, いたす, 拝見する, 存じる) | Anchor: workplace register | Irregular Kenjōgo Verbs (伺う, 参る, 申す, いたす) |
| Asymmetric keigo (uchi-soto) | Humbling one's own in-group (including one's boss) when speaking to outsiders | Anchor: the hardest keigo competence and a business-register staple | Asymmetric Keigo: Humbling Your Own Boss (Uchi-Soto) |
| Keigo level selection | Choosing the right register for the relationship and setting | Anchor: practical selection under pressure | How to Choose the Right Keigo Level: A Practical Guide |
What "N2 grammar" really means
The JLPT publishes no official grammar list. The administering bodies provide a "Summary of Linguistic Competence Required for Each Level" for N2 and confirm that the test measures grammar knowledge. But they have released no grammar, vocabulary, or kanji list since the 2010 redesign, when the four-level test became the five-level N1 through N5 test.89 Their stated rationale is that listing items is not appropriate when the goal is communicative competence rather than memorization.9
Every "N2 grammar list" in circulation is therefore a third-party compilation built from remembered past exams and difficulty estimates. JLPTsensei's page also states plainly that there is no official JLPT N2 grammar list.3
The official level summary describes N2 as the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations and, to a certain degree, in a variety of circumstances. That includes reading articles and commentaries in newspapers and magazines and following coherent narration in broadcast media.8
The "~130 new" figure is a consensus drawn from the standard upper-intermediate textbooks (Shin Kanzen Master N2, Nihongo So-matome N2, Try! N2, and the Tobira and intermediate-dictionary scope), not an official number.12104 Counted as points new at N2 (beyond N3), compiled lists cluster around the low 100s to roughly 170. JLPTsensei's list shows about 195 N2 entries, including border and review-anchor rows, and some spaced-repetition (SRS) decks reach about 200 by splitting senses.312 The figure depends entirely on how senses are counted and where the N2/N1 and N2/N3 borders are drawn. The honest range is roughly 100 to 197.
"New beyond N3" is the key framing. N2 also tests every N3, N4, and N5 grammar point, but this checklist counts only what is new at N2. It uses the same delta logic as N2 vocabulary. Basic and compound particles you have already met, voice, conditionals, the inference set, and basic keigo are assumed and not repeated.12
Good to know
Don't study this list top to bottom
The checklist is grouped by theme for routing and review, not as a study sequence. Tackling one system at a time, such as all of the compound particles and then all of the classical-derived patterns, is the method used by standard upper-intermediate textbooks (Shin Kanzen Master N2, So-matome N2), rather than an alphabetical sweep.12
The N2 jump is register, not just new forms
The N2 inventory is dominated by formal and written-register patterns and classical survivals: ～ぬ, ～ざる, ～がたい, べき, the focus particles, and the compound-particle escalations. Many appear chiefly in newspapers, editorials, signage, and formal speech. The learning task therefore shifts toward recognizing register and source, not only memorizing meaning.15
The classical-derived rows are a single bungo system, not isolated forms. がたい descends from 難し (かたし). ぬ and ざる both descend from the negation ず (ぬ its 連体形, ざる the 連体形 of the ざり series), べき from べし, and まじき from まじ. Reading them as one ず / べし-era residue makes the modern formal forms parse on sight.57
Watch the N2/N1 border rows
Because no official list exists, the formal and classical-negative patterns straddle the N2/N1 line across references. The bare productive ～ぬ and ～ざる outside set phrases, recognition-only まじ / まじき and ～だに, and the literary ～つつ(も) / ～ながらも all reappear on many N1 lists.35
Treat any single count as an estimate and expect some rows to recur at N1. This is a direct consequence of there being no official list to anchor the border.
"~130 new" is a delta, not a total
N2 tests N3, N4, and N5 grammar too; this checklist counts only the delta that is new at N2, mirroring the "new beyond N3" framing used for N2 vocabulary.12 Because no official list exists, treat any single count as an estimate.
The honest framing is a range of roughly 100 to 197 new points rather than a single number, because compiled lists disagree. JLPTsensei lists about 195 entries, and some spaced-repetition (SRS) decks reach about 200 by sense-splitting. The defensible headline is "~130 new beyond N3," always paired with the no-official-list caveat.31
See also
- JLPT N2 Prep Overview: The Gateway Level
- A 12-Month JLPT N2 Study Plan
- JLPT N3 Grammar Checklist: The Curated List
- JLPT N1 Grammar Checklist: The Curated List
- Japanese Particles (助詞): The Eight Categories Explained
- Classical Grammar Survivals in Modern Japanese