JLPT N5 Minna no Nihongo Grammar Lesson Summary (Free PDF)

Studying with みんなの日本語 (Minna no Nihongo) and preparing for JLPT N5? This free PDF packs every lesson’s core grammar into clear, printable pages — perfect for review before class, before the exam, or whenever you need a quick refresher.

What’s inside

The PDF covers grammar from Minna no Nihongo I (初級1), organized one lesson per page. Each page includes:

Grammar formulas — the pattern structure at a glance (e.g. N1 は N2 です)
Short explanations in English
Example sentences with Japanese, romaji, and English
Quick review boxes summarizing the key points from each lesson

There are 35 pages in total — enough to walk through the full beginner course without flipping back through the textbook.

Sample lessons

Lesson 1 — Basic sentence patterns

The first lesson covers the foundations you’ll use throughout N5:

Pattern	Meaning
N1 は N2 です	Identity / equivalence — “N1 is N2”
N1 は N2 じゃありません	Negation — “N1 is not N2”
N1 は N2 ですか	Questions — “Is N1 N2?”
N1 も N2 です	Also / too
N1 は N2 の N3 です	Possession / relationship

Example: わたしは学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) — I am a student.

Lesson 2 — Demonstratives and の

Lesson 2 builds on the basics with pointing words and more uses of の:

Pattern	Meaning
これ / それ / あれ	This / that / that (over there) — as nouns
この N / その N / あの N	This / that / that N — modifying nouns
そうです / そうじゃありません	Yes, it is / No, it isn’t
S1 か、S2 か	Choice questions — “Is it S1 or S2?”
N1 の N2	Topic (“book on computers”) or possession (“my book”)
そうですか	“I see” — when you learn something new

Example: この本はわたしのです。 (Kono hon wa watashi no desu.) — This book is mine.

Every lesson follows the same clear layout, so once you’re familiar with Lesson 1 and 2, the rest of the PDF is easy to navigate.

Who is this for?

Minna no Nihongo students who want a compact grammar reference alongside the textbook
JLPT N5 candidates reviewing grammar before the exam
Self-studiers who want printable cheat sheets for each lesson

How to use it

After each textbook lesson — read the matching PDF page to lock in the patterns
Before the JLPT — skim all pages to spot weak points, then drill those lessons again
Print or save offline — use the download button above to keep the PDF on your device

For more N5 grammar with detailed explanations, browse our N5 Grammar section.

Download the full PDF using the button above, or scroll down to preview it inline.