Released! Bunpro Grammar Explanations, N4

[Asher]

Hi guys!

Once again we are thrilled to be able to announce that the Bunpro grammar explanations (N4 edition) is now live!

In the same style as N5, we tried to keep a happy medium between traditional translations, and literal meanings as often as possible. We hope that this style of writing will continue to be something that is easy to understand, and helps to unravel some of the trickier grammar points!

Our main focus in N4 was starting to introduce some more of the Japanese names for different word types, and some of their grammatical relationships. This includes (but is not limited to) things like words that will usually be used to describe a certain grammar pattern in Japanese, so that you are able to get a better idea of how a Japanese person would learn that particular pattern.

We believe that this approach will allow us to delve just a little bit deeper into the Japanese side of grammar learning as we approach N3. Hopefully giving us a strong base of vocabulary and terms that will make learning higher level grammar patterns more approachable.

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What comes next?

As promised, we will start working on N3 straight away, and hope to have it finished within the next 2 to 3 months at the latest. In addition to this, we will (probably sooner rather than later) start to introduce our own blog type posts that will tackle unique grammar concepts that we do not cover in our current lessons. This includes things like word types, natural sentence building, and many general terms/expressions that will make your life as a learner easier! Links to these blog posts will be added to each grammar point that they have relevance in, and potentially to their own ‘article’ search page, where you will be able to see everything.

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The N4 order rebuilt

As with N5, we have massively changed the learning order of N4 (although this has not been implemented yet, give it a few days). Our writeups have been done with this order in mind, and we frequently make references to other grammar points that you will probably have recently learned (or will learn soon), if you are on the Bunpro grammar path. Don’t worry though, as with N5, we have wrapped all of the grammar so that you are able to quickly jump to any grammar points that have been mentioned, but you are not sure about yet/learned a while ago.

Our main focus with this new order was to group similar things together, so that each progressive explanation can take advantage of the previous grammar point still being fresh in your mind. Allowing us to point out some important differences when they matter the most. So, without further ado.

N4 Lesson 1 (Ways of doing and being)

でも、やすい、にくい、だんだん、どんどん、ら、ていく、てくる、かた、だけで、だが、なくて (conjunctions)、なくて (examples)、ないで、Verb[passive]、Transitive/Intransitive、直す、ということ

N4 Lesson 2 (When and how often)

とき、まず、まで、までに、また、はじめる、おわる、ごろ、あとで、ていた、に (frequency)、とうとう、より、ごとに、なるべく、ところ、のに

N4 Lesson 3 (Seems like, Could be)

とおもう、など、みたい、こと、そう、さ、とか～とか、そういう、よう、ようだ、ぜんぜん、かな、あまり～ない、ば、なら、がる、がする、たがる

N4 Lesson 4 (Do it like this, Did it like that)

かもしれない、みたいに、そうに、のように、ようと思う、にする、といい、ようになる、まい～のように、じゃないか、らしい①、ておく、がほしい、てほしい、と聞いた、聞こえる、見える、だす

N4 Lesson 5 (Amounts/Counting)

～代、Number + も、ほとんど、そんな、各、以上、以下、以外、ずっと、だいたい、のなかで、Number/Amount + は、なん + Counter、ま（っ）、Number + しか～ない、～は～の一つだ、～ない～はない、すこしも～ない、すくなくない、さ

N4 Lesson 6 (て the day away)

場合は、Verb［て］(and so)、てよかった、Verb[causative]、といってもいい、ても、てしまう、Verb［て］(non-sequence)、Verb[causative passive]、Verb［て］(by)、てある、ように～てほしい、ている間に、なくてもいい、てみる、てすみません

N4 Lesson 7 (Let's get polite)

てあげる、てくれる、てもらう、なさい、Verb［て］(please do)、Verb［ないで］、てくれてありがとう、てくれない、のだろうか、お～になる、なさる、お～ください、いらっしゃる、ございます、でございます、お～する、いたす、ていただけませんか

N4 Lesson 8 (Possibility vs Necessity)

たら、ほかに（も）、がひつよう、そんなに、ひつようがある、たとえば、Verb［Potential］、んだけど、はずだ、かどうか、と、ないと、はずがない、しか～ない、だけでなく、ことができる、かい、もし

N4 Lesson 9 (Do it like this, Did it like that - Advanced)

し～し、でできる、ながら、たところ、ているところ、と～と どちらが、ようにする、なければいけない、なければならない、つづける、だす、ようにいう、予定だ、ようにいのる、たばかり、化する

N4 Lesson 10 (Seems like, Could be - Advanced)

ように (as/like)、かしら、ように (so that)、らしい②、にみえる、とみえる、風、がみられる、にきがつく、～でも～でも、それに、それで、Question phrase + か、それでも、ばよかった、たらどう、と考えられている、とされている、といわれている

We hope that this new order turns out to be far more logical, and will help new users that are going through the path for the first time, and perhaps even give long-time users incentive to go back and see if they find anything that is new and interesting!

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That’s all for today, and I hope you all enjoy the writeups!

Note - We will continue to do quality checking of the sentences/explanations/formatting etc over the next few days, so if you see a glaring error, don’t worry too much about sending reports before this coming Monday (at which point we may have just missed the error and would love for you to send us a report! )

As always, thank you all so much for your ongoing support, and we will continue to do our best to make Bunpro the best it can possibly be!

[MZa]

Congratulations for all this work to all the bunpro team! Knowing the grammar terms and concepts in Japanese is a great step forward I think. I am happy you are progressively adding them in the lessons. This may help to make link between grammar points and structures, which is a good point for memorizing and understanding how stuff works.

[PvtNoob]

Oh yeah, this is what I’ve been waiting for. Thanks a lot!
It was only with the explanations that I understood some N5 grammar points correctly.

[jrmr50]

N4 learner here, looking forward to reading the new explanations. The N5 ones I’ve seen so far are superior! I’ll even forgive you any lost lesson stamps I incur!

[Slackware]

This gives me a good reason to go back, brush up on that grammar, and go a bit more in-depth. Thank you!

[Megumin]

Thanks a lot! I was holding on doing more N4 lessons as much as possible since I knew this was coming up soon.

Finally time to finish those N4 lessons.

[Jet]

This is fantastic. You just took this from great to amazing!

[Katzerin]

This is amazing, thank you so much! I literally started N4 lessons yesterday, so the timing couldn’t be better.

[chicharron]

Thank you!

[kush]

Love the new explanations. I havent been doing as many lessons in anticipation of this update and Im looking forward to going through them all

[UshiMo]

HUGE DUDE! I saw all the N5 stuff and I was salivating at having write ups built in to read. Hopefully y’all outpace me to N3.

ありがとうございます。

[Edo9]

I actually just finished going through all of N5 just to read the write ups, and they are fantastic. Even though I’ve gone through N4 as well, I’m hyped about revisiting them for a deeper understanding.

Reading grammar write-ups is probably the last thing that anyone would analogize as “a kid in a candy store”. But that’s exactly what it feels like. Wish I had this much enthusiasm about school back in the day, I might have actually completed my Computer Science degree, lol.

[razmic]

These are excellent to the point of making me agonize over whether I should slow/stop learning new grammar points to wait for the Grammar Explanation update for N3 (I am towards the end of N4).

[severian]

I’ve been redoing N4 recently just to iron out some cracks, so looking forward to utilising these along the way!

[meagstudies]

YES!! I’ve been so excited for these!

[unnez]

What a time to level up

Loved the handful I got to study with though they were really helpful!

[jrmr50]

well done! if you’re like me with the N5 changes, you’ll see them on the ghosts

[jrmr50]

I’ve ‘lost’ two N4 lesson stamps

(yeah I know I’ve not technically lost anything but it’s such a nice moment when you get one!)

[jrmr50]

Great job on the new grammar explanations, really useful. Especially the compare and contrast aspects.

[meagstudies]

I’m not sure if this is a good place to mention this, but I noticed the N4 grammar order still doesn’t match up with the reorder mentioned above. It looks like Lessons 1 and 2 match up, but after that they’re in a different order (I think it’s still the old order from before the new N4 explanations)

for example here’s what Lesson 7 says

@Asher

N4 Lesson 7 (Let’s get polite)

てあげる、てくれる、てもらう、なさい、Verb［て］(please do)、Verb［ないで］、てくれてありがとう、てくれない、のだろうか、お～になる、なさる、お～ください、いらっしゃる、ございます、でございます、お～する、いたす、ていただけませんか

And here’s what I see

Some points match up (e.g., てくれない) but most do not, and the lesson 7 points are still scattered across other lessons

I know y’all are working on a lot of other stuff so it’s ok if it’s not updated asap, but I haven’t seen anyone else mention it so I figured I’d let y’all know. Looking forward to the N3 explanations!!