Duration of the online course: 19 hours and 14 minutes
New
Build confident Japanese sentences fast with this free online grammar course: particles, polite vs plain forms, te/ta forms, and practical quizzes.
In this free course, learn about
Basic sentence patterns with desu/masu (affirmative, questions) from Minna 1–3
Making statements negative; adjective negatives like omoshiroi → omoshiroku nai
Demonstratives and question words: kore/sore/are, koko/soko/asoko, nan, dore
Polite verb forms (masu-form) and the polite vs plain (informal) style difference
Particles and their roles: は(topic), を(object), へ/に(direction), で(means/tool)
Using を to mark direct objects and actions like going/using/doing something
Expressing existence and location: imasu/arimasu (e.g., “a dog is at X”)
Counters and quantifiers: how to count items and where counters go in sentences
Past tense forms for nouns/adjectives: deshita/ja arimasen deshita patterns
Expressing desire: ～が ほしい (want an object/person)
Te-form formation rules for verbs (incl. Group 1 changes such as -kimasu → -ite)
Te-form functions: permission (～てもいいです) and connecting multiple verbs
Plain negative verb forms and dictionary forms (e.g., taberu → tabenai; arimasu → aru)
Ta-form (past plain) creation and use (e.g., nomimasu → nonda)
About the free online course
Understanding Japanese gets much easier when grammar stops feeling like a puzzle and starts working as a system. This free online course helps you build that system step by step, so you can form clear, natural sentences for everyday situations. You will practice the patterns that beginners meet early on, then strengthen them with quick checks that reinforce what you have just learned.
Rather than memorizing random phrases, you will learn how Japanese sentences are assembled: how topics and subjects are framed, how objects are marked, and how meaning changes with particles. You will get comfortable with polite communication and learn when it is appropriate to use polite forms versus the more casual plain style, a difference that often determines whether you sound natural in real conversations.
As you progress, you will start expressing location and existence, making negative statements, and talking about actions in a more flexible way. You will also work with useful verb transformations, including te and ta forms, which unlock common functions like linking actions, asking for or giving permission, and talking about completed events. The practice questions throughout the course are designed to catch typical mistakes early, so your accuracy improves alongside your confidence.
By the end, you should be able to understand the logic behind core grammar patterns and apply them to new sentences on your own. Whether your goal is travel, anime and manga comprehension, conversation with friends, or preparing for further study, this course gives you a solid foundation in Japanese grammar that you can build on immediately.
Course content
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 1 Grammar20m
Exercise: Which phrase is correctly used to make a statement negative in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 2 Grammar17m
Exercise: What does 'are wa nan desu ka?' mean in English?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 3 Grammar17m
Exercise: Which one of the following Japanese words is the polite way to say 'over there' or to indicate a direction far from both the speaker and the listener?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 4 Grammar23m
Exercise: What is the polite form of Japanese verbs?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 5 Grammar17m
Exercise: How would you say 'I will go to the library' in Japanese using the grammar pattern discussed in the lesson?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 6 Grammar16m
Exercise: What does the particle 'O' indicate in Japanese grammar?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 7 Grammar16m
Exercise: Which particle is used to indicate a tool or means by which an action is done in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 8 Grammar23m
Exercise: What is the correct negative form of the Japanese adjective 'omoshiroi' (interesting)?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 9 Grammar24m
Exercise: Which particle in Japanese is used to indicate the topic of a sentence or the receiver/object of the verb?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 10 Grammar28m
Exercise: How do you indicate the presence of a dog at a specific location in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 11 Grammar21m
Exercise: In a Japanese sentence using counter suffixes, where is the quantifier typically placed?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 12 Grammar30m
Exercise: What is the positive past form of a noun or adjective in Japanese as explained in the video?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 13 Grammar34m
Exercise: In Japanese, what is the pattern used to express a desire for an object or person?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 14 Grammar26m
Exercise: How do you modify Group 1 verbs from 'masu' form to 'te' form in Japanese when the syllable before 'masu' is 'ki'?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 15 Grammar21m
Exercise: In Japanese, how do you express permission to perform an action using the '-te form' of a verb?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 16 Grammar29m
Exercise: How do you connect sentences with multiple verbs in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 17 Grammar22m
Exercise: Which of the following is the correct negative plain (informal) form of the verb 'tabemasu' (to eat)?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 18 Grammar34m
Exercise: What is the dictionary form of the verb 'arimasu' in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 19 Grammar22m
Exercise: What is the 'ta form' of the Japanese verb 'nomimasu'?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 20 Grammar22m
Exercise: What is the main difference between polite and plain styles in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 21 Grammar22m
Exercise: What is the correct way to create a statement that expresses one's thought or opinion using the grammar pattern discussed in the lesson?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 22 Grammar21m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 23 Grammar26m
Exercise: In Japanese, how do you express the time when a certain action happens using 'toki'?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 24 Grammar27m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 25 Grammar18m
Exercise: Which grammatical structure signifies 'even if' in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 26 Grammar17m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 27 Grammar17m
Exercise: How do you change a Group 1 verb into its potential form in Japanese?
Video class: Learn Japanese || Minna No Nihongo Lesson 28 Grammar13m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 29 Grammar13m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 30 Grammar15m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 31 Grammar21m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 32 Grammar23m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 33 Grammar26m
Exercise: What is the plain form of the verb 'kakimasu' (to write) when turned into a prohibitive form?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 34 Grammar20m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 35 Grammar26m
Exercise: Which Japanese grammar construction is used to express if a situation or condition A occurs, then outcome B will inevitably happen?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 36 Grammar19m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 37 Grammar29m
Exercise: In Japanese grammar, when you express that an action has been done to someone other than the speaker or doer, which form of the verb is used?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 38 Grammar25m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 39 Grammar24m
Exercise: In Japanese, how do you express the cause of something that has a non-volitional result?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 40 Grammar20m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 41 Grammar23m
Exercise: What is the expression used to politely request someone to do something, which is considered less polite than 'itadakimasu' but still courteous?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 42 Grammar28m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 43 Grammar14m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 44 Grammar28m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 45 Grammar21m
Exercise: What does the expression 'nani nani sugiru' mean in Japanese grammar?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 46 Grammar22m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 47 Grammar20m
Exercise: What does the term 'nani nani bakari' indicate in Japanese grammar?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 48 Grammar33m
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 49 Grammar34m
Exercise: Which of the following statements about keigo (respectful speech) in Japanese is correct?
Video class: Learn Japanese | Minna No Nihongo Lesson 50 Grammar24m
Course comments: Japanese Grammar lessons
laura solomon
deshou
Richard Armarfio
Very well laid out and explained
Richard Armarfio
its a language that I think takes time to develop from English but I see the beneficial dividends that can make it pay off. I appreciate the teacher