Future of Bunpro’s (missing) Grammar - Update!

Bunpro
#1

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re all having a stellar start to your weekend and are gearing up for a fun one! This is a post that has been a long time in the making and will, unlike some of our other posts, continue to be in the making for some time into the near future. Read below for details on that part!

To start things off, more than anything else, this post is a notification that the Bunpro content team has scoured our forums (see here) for grammar points that users in the past have noticed that we were missing, and compiled them all into a more formal list of grammar that we will begin releasing in the very near future.

:face_with_monocle: Which Grammar Points? :face_with_monocle:

As an initial look, here are some of the grammar points we will be adding, and where they (roughly) fall in level. You may notice that we are planning on adding some of the community requests as Fun-facts rather than stand-alone points. This is primarily when we felt something wasn’t different enough from what we already have to warrant a second entry.

The (PROBABLY ~) tag is just internal labeling for us, as we are still working out whether to just put these points in their ‘rough’ levels, or whether to make each level itself have something akin to N4+ or N2+ etc, where students may study these things if they want, but people that are wholly focused on exams can skip them.

The list itself is already quite long, so click below here to see how it is sizing up at the moment!

Grammar to be added

あり (opposite of なし) (PROBABLY N3)
と言うのも (Will add to というのは)
verb + がいい (PROBABLY N2)
ずく (PROBABLY N1)
僅か (Will add as Fun-fact to 僅かに)
と言う訳だ (Will add as Fun-fact to というわけではない)
おおよそ and およそ (PROBABLY N3)
～ざる (i.e. ならざる, 見えざる) (PROBABLY N2 after ざるを得ない)
まんま (Will add as a Fun-fact to まま)
ならともかく (PROBABLY N2 after はともかく)
なかろう (PROBABLY N2 as かろう in general)
いずれも (PROBABLY N2)
がん～ (e.g. がん見) (PROBABLY N1 or vocab)
～っぷり (Will add as a Fun-fact to ふりをする, or create one new point with ぶり and っぷり)
～やがる (e.g. しやがる) (PROBABLY N1)
気もする (Will add as a Fun-fact to 気がする)
むず (PROBABLY N1 or N0 古典の助動詞)
やや~ (PROBABLY N2)
あわよくば (PROBABLY N1)
なにやら (PROBABLY N2 after どうやら)
どうにか (PROBABLY N1)
ことで (PROBABLY N3 after ことから)
多少なりとも (Will add as a Fun-fact to なりに)
とは (PROBABLY N3 after というのは)
～たりして (Will add as a Fun-fact to たり～たり)
～ぞ (PROBABLY N1)
～ぜ (PROBABLY N1)
～わ (PROBABLY N1)
～できて (sentence ending)
～にされると～
次第に (PROBABLY N2 after 次第だ)
訳あって~ (PROBABLY N1 as 訳あり and 訳あって)
の次に (PROBABLY N4)
～て頂戴 (PROBABLY N2)
～に値する (PROBABLY N2)
なぜ + どうして (PROBABLY N5 one after the other)
ばかりか (Will add as a Fun-fact to ばかりでなく)
く + は (PROBABLY N4)
～てくれたらと思います (PROBABLY N3)
づらい (PROBABLY N4 after にくい)
というか (Can add as a Fun-fact to というより)
と同様 (PROBABLY N1 or N0)
そのもの (PROBABLY N3)
を境に (PROBABLY N1)
勝手に (PROBABLY N3)
～てこのかた (PROBABLY N1)
それはそうと (PROBABLY N2)
っす (Can add as a Fun-fact to です)
のだった (PROBABLY N3)
っと (PROBABLY N1 or N0)
と同然 (PROBABLY N1)
って感じ (PROBABLY N4)
が and の swapping (PROBABLY N5)
させてくれる させてもらう (PROBABLY N4)
んだ ‘you should’ (PROBABLY N3)
弱 (PROBABLY N2)
強 (PROBABLY N2)
なんだ (PROBABLY N3)
かよ (PROBABLY N2)
んじゃなかった (PROBABLY N2)
だろうに (PROBABLY N2)
きっての (PROBABLY N1)
ともすれば (PROBABLY N1)
ひとつ (PROBABLY N1)
さも (PROBABLY N1)
め (PROBABLY N3)
を顧みず (PROBABLY N1)
もしないで (PROBABLY N1)
～しかるべきだ (PROBABLY N1)
のみ (PROBABLY N2)
～たことにする (PROBABLY N3)
んとする (PROBABLY N1)
よほど よっぽど (PROBABLY N2)
っこ (PROBABLY N1)
ふと (PROBABLY N3)
～てまで (PROBABLY N2)

:speech_balloon: What About Grammar Not on the List? :speech_balloon:

For starters, we will be continuing to update this post with new grammar points that we are planning on adding in the future, so be sure to come back and check the list often if there is something you’re waiting for. At the moment, the list compiles all current user requests and a large portion of grammar available online through other sources.

On top of this, we will also be adding every missing grammar point from popular textbooks as well, such as 新完全マスター etc… within reason. Within reason being code for ‘we will add everything except grammar that would be far better off being a footnote within another grammar point’.

:closed_lock_with_key: Closing the Old Thread :closed_lock_with_key:

I would like to make a brief thank you note here to users like @Kuromaku, @Kai, @Melanthe, @nekoyama, @s1212z, @jacobalbano, @conan etc etc for keeping track of all the points that we were missing and could potentially add! Heaps of people posted in that thread over the years, so sorry if we missed you!

As this post will be becoming the new place for future grammar announcements (and requests for grammar), the old post will be getting retired (namely this post). Rest assured though that we have included every single request that was ever in that thread!

:brain: Additional Grammar Update Spot :brain:

This spot is just a placeholder for notifications on any grammar that we will be adding in addition to what we’ve already posted here initially. Click to extend below for updates!

Stuff we're adding

Nothing here yet!

We’ll also be making a list of various textbooks here and will put a strikethrough on them when we have included or plan to include everything that is missing from that particular book/website.

Although this is not an update about work we have already done, we thought that most people would probably appreciate a bit of a view into what is happening behind the scenes specifically with grammar. Thank you all for your ongoing support, and please continue to use this thread in the future for requests for grammar!

As for a bit of a timeline, we are planning on doing the new grammar in small batches of around 20 points at a time and will publish them every few weeks to a month between other projects.

Once again, hope you all have a baller weekend! :partying_face:

54 Likes
Missing grammar list
Lifetime Sale, A Year in Review and 2024
Feedback - Suggested Improvements/Feature Request
というか
#2

Quick question regarding the user experience. I’m currently studying grammar lessons using one of the default JLPT decks. Will the new entries automatically appear at some point? What if you place it inbetween and already am closer to the end of the deck, will it be picked up for studying regardless?

5 Likes
#3

To be completely honest, I am just a content peon, so cannot answer with confidence how exactly that will work on the programming side. I’ll defer this question to @Jake who will be able to give you a more solid idea on that front!

6 Likes
#4

Yes, they will!

If you are in the middle of a deck for example and we add one earlier in the order it will just appear first in your Learn queue.

16 Likes
#5

Great!

Just because it would benefit me personally, will you be creating a learning path for the Try N2 by any chance? I am about to complete the Try N3 book in my language school, 90% of the grammar points in it were already on bunpro which makes reviewing and retaining so much easier!

4 Likes
#6

wow, this is awesome to see! Thank you so much for adding all these missing points!

4 Likes
#7

You know, as a gamer I’m used to paying for DLC and honestly if this was an add-on pack I would gladly pay for it. The fact that Bunpro in it’s current form is already worth more than the lifetime price, this is quite generous.

This is great, all the grammar you’re adding. This is why I continue to recommend you guys. Thank you.

12 Likes
#8

As long as they don’t turn it into a gacha game I suppose. $1 for a chance to pull a grammar point to study!

5 Likes
#9

I feel this response is a little…odd, I suppose. I assume you paid for a lifetime membership so the guarantee is that during the duration of Bunpro’s existence you are guaranteed access and availability to Bunpro’s content present and future until its closure.

If Bunpro did offer such a pricing structure for content, I for one would be very angry that they “broke” the agreement of the lifetime membership I purchased.

I am really glad and grateful that Bunpro is adding more grammar points tho, but that’s kinda the “deal” with being a lifetime member, right?

6 Likes
#10

If I could suggest another potential addition, how about ちなみに?
Perhaps its just the area I’m based it but after initially coming across it I’ve heard it used quite a few times now

Quite the impressive list already though, looking forward to the additions!

5 Likes
#11

Perhaps they could incorporate a “tip” option for people like yourself who wish to contribute additional funds.

However, I believe that $150 for a lifetime or $50 annually should already cover all additional content.

5 Likes
#12

I think that’s a decent idea and I wouldn’t be opposed to it.

2 Likes
#13

Please no tip options. Just buy a gift membership for someone. If you don’t have a friend learning Japanese then give it away on this forum or somewere else online.

6 Likes
#14

I am genuinely curious your reasoning against it. Personally I don’t know anyone in my friend/family group that is interested in Japanese, so gifting wouldn’t be helpful for me should I wish to monetarily support Bunpro beyond what is warranted for a lifetime sub.

Maybe an alternative idea could be suggested that is better? A store where the cost of the materials plus X dollar or x% added so you can clearly see what Bunpro would get out of the transaction work better?

2 Likes
#15

Khan Academy has something like this, but they are a non-profit, which we are not. Basically it is a ‘this product is free but if you wanna support others in the future, feel free to donate’ type setup.

https://donate.khanacademy.org/give/419869/#!/donation/checkout

This is purely hypothetical though. We have no intention of doing it and it has not been discussed amongst the team. More than anything obviously we just want to have a product that provides enough value that customers will always exist.

6 Likes
#16

If you do NFTs tho I am backflipping out a window.

10 Likes
#17

I have a bias here since I am from a country that doesn’t tip much and I live in a country that doesn’t tip at all.

Setting that aside, tipping often leads me to wonder “well what is the actual value of the thing?”. In an environment with no pressure I can’t imagine more than a handful of people will ever want to use a tip system when you can just buy a gift membersip and give it to no one if you want to give Bunpro more money. I am sure if you DM a dev they will also accept a direct paypal donation.

[Originally I wrote a long comment about how I think Bunpro makes money but it was all a bit crass and negative so I am removing it but leaving everything else. Summary though is Bunpro is a company which is trying to make money.]

[Now contextless positive comment about Bunpro:] Having said that (and sorry for bringing it up), I personally think if you use Bunpro from the start to the end it is extremely cheap (for someone making an average wage in the first-world). It has multiple textbooks worth of content and the custom hints and nudges etc make all the difference. I don’t use vocab but that is also a game changer in terms of value. I would actually prefer the price of Bunpro just goes up or grammar and vocab are offered as two different sub types or vocab is offered as an upgrade or something.

Bunpro actually bothers to work on N2+N1 level stuff properly. Many apps or similar projects (Marumori comes to mind) promise the world but only if that world ends when you learn how to ask for directions and sit the N4. They do this, again, because most of the market is made of bright-eyed beginners who will quit or stagnate at the same level forever. So, again, +1 to Bunpro in my opinion as they could just focus on the beginner stuff and run. There defintely are elements of Bunpro being a passion project and not just a money making project.

I just find the idea of a dedicated tip system unpalatable given all this.

5 Likes
#18

If you were to remove the crass part, I think your post would have merit and I would really like to read it if you ever choose to make a thread on it. Being able to share ideas freely is what prevents an echo chamber, so I am all for it.

Personally, I think your thoughts on tips are valid, and I understand where you are coming from. I’m from the US so tips are traditionally used to show a manner of thanks. (I know tip culture in the US has gone to exploitative levels, but that’s a conversation for another forum lol)

It sounds like you want the product to represent a fair value, and I have to agree that if you go from start to finish, value is definitely high.

In my opinion, Bunpro could justifiably set the price of their lifetime sub to $200+ and the value would be still high. So I guess the matter is, how can we show appreciation for Bunpro in a financial sense without stepping on too many toes and without severely changing the core pricing scheme?

To me, a single subscription model is fine, as I always preferred simplicity. A store would be cool, they can finally sell that darn “this is a pen” shirt, or maybe make a graded reader ebook, or a textbook of their own works.

I still hold that tipping would be fine, but I am curious what ramifications that would have for a for-profit company, or even if Bunpro would be open to it at all.

4 Likes
#19

Seems like gifting subscriptions currently involves sending an email, unless I’m missing something. Perhaps, we just need a more streamlined process for gifting subscriptions.

On another note, your mention of different countries brings to mind the localization of prices in games and DLCs. A price hike could potentially alienate a considerable portion of the active members and potential subscribers.

Anyway, it’s amusing that the community is interested on discovering ways to spend more in the platform, and I like @rdennison7 idea of having a shop.

3 Likes
#20

It can be a bit dangerous, admittedly, as it could bring the wrong ideas that could result in long-term harm. But it is indeed quite amusing lol

3 Likes