JLPT N1 grammar and kanji

What the N1 courses hold

• 17 words
• 253 grammar points
• 1,504 kanji
• 1,775 lessons
• 16,982 lines of recorded Japanese
• 1,914 videos
• 28,648 quiz questions

Counted from the lessons themselves. The JLPT has published no official word or kanji lists since 2010; Manabiya follows the lists of JLPT Sensei.

N1 vocabulary

The N1 word list Manabiya follows is short: 17 words in 2 units, each with its own lesson. Most N1 words are taught with their kanji instead: the 1,504 kanji lessons below come with 7,789 words written with them, each read aloud.

• 明くるあくるnext; following
• 読者どくしゃreader
• 本のほんのmere; just; only a
• 実のじつのbiological; real; true
• 聞き取りききとりlistening (comprehension)
• 購買こうばいpurchasing; school shop
• 購読こうどくsubscription; regular reading
• 購入こうにゅうpurchase; buying
• 小売こうりretail
• 前売りまえうりadvance sale (tickets)
• 主なるおもなるmain; principal (formal)
• 新築しんちくnew building; building new
• 新人しんじんnewcomer; rookie
• 新婚しんこんnewly married
• とんだterrible; unexpected (bad)
• 売り出しうりだしsale; launch
• 売り出すうりだすto launch; to put on sale

N1 grammar

253 grammar points in 21 units grouped by meaning, so that patterns that are easy to confuse stand side by side. Each has a detailed lesson: how to form it, what it means, how it differs from its neighbours, the usual mistakes, example sentences with audio, a scene and a quiz of its own. Each unit ends with a page that compares its patterns.

1. Cause and reason 原因と理由

   9 points, among them: ばこそ precisely because · こともあって partly because · こととて since; given that · もので because; you see

2. Purpose, and doing two things at once 目的と「ついで」

   10 points, among them: べく in order to · んがために with the aim of · ことのないように so that it never happens · がてら while also doing

3. The moment it happens その瞬間

   9 points, among them: が早いか no sooner than · や否や the moment · なり as soon as · そばから as soon as, undone again

4. Turning points in time 時の節目

   12 points, among them: を機に taking the occasion · を境に a before-and-after divide · を限りに for the last time · を皮切りに starting a whole series

5. Conditions, and doing without 条件と「なしに」

   15 points, among them: とあれば if that is the case · となると / となれば if that becomes the case · ならいざしらず / はいざしらず perhaps for X, but · ばそれまでだ / たらそれまでだ if that happens, it's over

6. Even though: concession 逆接と譲歩

   11 points, among them: とはいえ although; nonetheless · といえども even; despite being · たところで even if it won't help · にしたところで / としたところで even granting that

7. Whatever, whether and depending on 関係なく・次第で

   14 points, among them: であれ / であろうと regardless of who or what · であれ〜であれ whether A or B · はどうであれ whatever X may be · ようが / ようと even if; no matter what

8. Even, let alone, not only 強調と添加

   9 points, among them: すら / ですら even; not even · だに / だにしない even; not even · たりとも not even one · とて even; even though

9. Pairs and lists 並列と例示

   14 points, among them: だの〜だの this, that, and the rest · やれ〜やれ one complaint after another · わ〜わで one thing after another · なり〜なり A or B, for instance

10. Comparing, preferring and 'only' 比較と限定

    15 points, among them: に引き換え in sharp contrast to · とは比べものにならない beyond comparison · とは打って変わって / とは打って変わり completely changed from · にも増して even more than

11. Extremes and strong feelings 極限と感情

    15 points, among them: 極まる / 極まりない extremely; utterly · ことこの上ない / この上ない / この上なく unsurpassably; supremely · の至り the utmost; deeply felt · の極み the height of; the utmost

12. Looks, airs and 'as if' 様子と見せかけ

    10 points, among them: びる / びて / びた have the look of · ぶる / ぶって / ぶった put on airs · がましい have an unwelcome air · じみた have the character of

13. All over and all the way 徹底と過剰

    12 points, among them: まみれ covered in something dirty · ずくめ nothing but; entirely · ぐるみ the whole group involved · 放題 without restraint

14. Worth, need and obligation 価値・必要・当然

    14 points, among them: に値する worthy of; worth doing · に足る / に足りる worthy; sufficient to justify · に足らない / に足りない not warrant; not worthy · に耐える / に耐えない stand up to; unbearable

15. Possible and impossible 可能と不可能

    12 points, among them: 可能性がある there is a possibility · ないとも限らない cannot rule it out · ないものでもない not entirely impossible · には無理がある is unrealistic

16. Judging and asserting 判断と主張

    15 points, among them: ものと思われる / ものと見られる is believed; is expected · とされる is said; is considered · ではあるまいか might it not be · でなくてなんだろう what else but

17. Outcomes and regrets 結末と後悔

    11 points, among them: 羽目になる end up stuck with · 始末だ a deplorable outcome · ずじまい end without doing · そびれる miss the chance to

18. Roles, standards and tendencies 立場と傾向

    13 points, among them: たるもの / たる standards of a role · まじき unworthy of; unacceptable · べからず / べからざる must not; forbidden · ともあろうものが of all people

19. Defiance and disregard 無視と強行

    8 points, among them: をよそに disregarding · を顧みず / も顧みず heedless of · をものともせずに undaunted by · を押して / を押し切って pushing past resistance

20. Formal basis and rules 基準と規定

    12 points, among them: に則って in accordance with · に即して in keeping with · に照らして in light of · を踏まえて taking into account

21. Adverbs and sentence endings 副詞と終助詞

    13 points, among them: 敢えて deliberately despite reasons · あくまでも firmly; strictly limited · 案の定 sure enough · あらかじめ beforehand; in advance

N1 kanji

1,504 kanji in 76 units of twenty. Every kanji has its own lesson: its readings, the parts it is made of, a story to remember it by, a stroke-order animation, the words it is used in (7,789 in all at N1) and example sentences, all read aloud, and a quiz.

氏統基価提挙応企検藤沢裁証援可施井護展態

• 氏surname; Mr./Ms.; clan音 シ · 訓 うじ
• 誘invite; tempt; lead音 ユウ · 訓 さそ(う)、いざな(う)
• 仁benevolence; seed kernel音 ジン、ニ、ニン
• 辰Dragon (zodiac sign)音 シン、ジン · 訓 たつ
• 呆astonished; dumbfounded音 ホウ · 訓 あき(れる)、ぼ(ける)
• 謹respectful; discreet音 キン · 訓 つつし(む)
• 蜷river snail; coil音 ケン · 訓 にな
• 硯inkstone音 ケン、ゲン · 訓 すずり

How you study N1 in Manabiya

Choose the N1 courses for your daily plan and say how many minutes you have. Each day brings a few new lessons and the reviews that are due: a lesson you learn today is tested tomorrow, then after three days, about a week, three weeks and longer; a slip brings it back the next day. Every lesson has a page to read, its recordings to listen to line by line or on a loop, its videos and a quiz with an explanation for every answer.