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A Guide to Japanese Grammar: A Japanese approach to learning Japanese grammar

by Mr Tae K Kim (Author)
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NOTE: The website (www.guidetojapanese.org) has the SAME content for free. This book is for those who prefer to have a physical copy. My guide to Japanese grammar has been helping people learn Japanese as it's really spoken in Japan for many years. If you find yourself frustrated that you can't understand Japanese movies or books despite having taken Japanese classes, then this book is for you. It will help you finally understand those pesky particles and break down grammatical concepts that will allow you to comprehend anything from simple to very complex sentences. You will also learn Japanese that's spoken by real people including casual speech patterns and slang, stuff that's often left out in most textbooks. Don't take my word for it, just check out my website and order this book to have it handy wherever you go.
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Mr Tae K Kim
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Mr Tae K Kim

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Tae Kim started learning Japanese in college and ended the first year very confused and only able to use the polite form. Eventually, he figured out how to talk like a real person and started a website for learning Japanese (www.guidetojapanese.org) to explain everything he had to figure out on his own.

Since then, he has worked at a big Japanese company in Japan as a Java developer, passed the JLPT level 1, got a perfect score in TOEIC (the Japanese company administered it every year) , and continues to work on his next book for learning Japanese in his spare time.

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
903 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's grammar explanations first-rate and consider it the best grammar handbook available. Moreover, they appreciate its value for money and the included phone app. Additionally, one customer notes the inclusion of kanji stroke order videos for all characters. However, the physical book's weight receives mixed reviews.

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Grammar knowledgeBook contentValue for moneyApp qualityKanji useWeight
86 customers mention "Grammar knowledge"71 positive15 negative

Customers find the book's grammar knowledge excellent, with thorough explanations that make it invaluable for learning Japanese. One customer mentions it serves as a great foothold in the language.

"...and Tae has a lot of awesome insights that are intuitive and easy to understand...." Read more

"...It makes the whole process more simple, concise, and logical...." Read more

"...Overall, it's a great grammar guide. Clear, concise, and thorough." Read more

"nice presentation, English, kanji, kana all used. Easy to understand..." Read more

68 customers mention "Book content"68 positive0 negative

Customers find this grammar guide to be thorough and an excellent reference, with one customer noting it provides lots of review and practice.

"Great book that has helped me tremendously in my quest to learn the Japanese language." Read more

"Good book!" Read more

"...It's been a great resource and offers a great foothold in the language for beginning to intermediate students...." Read more

"...Anyway, I really appreciate Tae Kim composed such a useful book." Read more

13 customers mention "Value for money"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth its price.

"...All in all, it's $20 for an amazing book so just buy it!!" Read more

"...Buy an iPod Touch 5th gen. and get this app. It is worth buying an iPod Touch just for this app...." Read more

"...explained in textbooks, and the slang sections alone are worth the price of admission...." Read more

"...While this guide is definitely worth the cost of conventional textbooks, even, imagine my relief to find it for a very reasonable $18...." Read more

4 customers mention "App quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers like the app that comes with the book, with one customer finding it original and excellent.

"This book combined with the web site and phone app, with the additional writing and audio resources, will make learning japanese easier." Read more

"...builder, kanji stroke order videos for all kanji, and more from this sweet app. Absolute must purchase. This is like a super-dictionary...." Read more

"...I have found it hugely helpful. Additionally, there is also an app version of this book...." Read more

"...I doubt Tar Kim even knows about this since his phone app seems original and excellent. This applies only to the hardcover version...." Read more

4 customers mention "Kanji use"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the use of kanji in the book, with one mentioning the inclusion of stroke order videos for all characters.

"...a built in flashcard builder, kanji stroke order videos for all kanji, and more from this sweet app. Absolute must purchase...." Read more

"...It makes heavy use of kanji from the very beginning, but don't let that worry you; it uses many of the same words over and over again, and hopefully..." Read more

"...Plus all the videos on youtube, and more being made over time...." Read more

"nice presentation, English, kanji, kana all used. Easy to understand..." Read more

5 customers mention "Weight"2 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the weight of the book, with some finding it easy to carry around, while others note that it adds considerable weight.

"...having a huge amount of margin does nothing more than add considerable weight to the book...." Read more

"...It is easy to carry around in my purse around Tokyo...." Read more

"...It's extremely cumbersome/heavy even to move it around my house. Like another reviewer mentioned the margins are quite large...." Read more

"This book is amazing. It's basically his entire website in one portable place. I love it. I carry it everywhere with me and it's a great resource...." Read more

DO NOT LISTEN TO 1 STAR REVIEWS
5 out of 5 stars
DO NOT LISTEN TO 1 STAR REVIEWS
I scrolled through the book and there seems to be a weird smear campaign against this book, according to the images. This book goes over a lot of overlooked aspects of Japanese grammar, and I recommend it personally.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • beafueds
    5.0 out of 5 stars English speaker? Self-learning? Buy this not Genki
    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book is much better for self-learning than other textbooks. The problem with Genki and others is that they're written for a classroom setting (hence all the group/partner exercises) or with a dedicated tutor. Therefore, grammar nuances aren't readily available but in "A Guide to Japanese Grammar", Tae Kim anticipates and explains common questions that arise for beginner learners in a reassuring, casual tone.

    The order of how grammar is introduced is different than other textbooks/classes which I think is better for beginner learners. Tae Kim starts off with explaining the very basic building blocks of grammar ("plain" and "informal" forms) and then gradually introduces the complexities of "polite" and "formal" form. Other textbooks start you off with learning sentences in "polite form" and then breaks it down until you learn the "plain form." I found this harder to wrap my head around when I first studied Japanese and wished more books/classes had it like Tae Kim instead.

    The book is focused on grammar and does require understanding hiragana/katakana and some basic kanji. Personally, I'm okay with that because you get much more grammar material. The book itself is also much easier to reference back to, which was another issue I had with Genki. All in all, it's $20 for an amazing book so just buy it!!
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Summer
    5.0 out of 5 stars “Just Press”, so what? It is a great book.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    New thought:
    After I have completed this book, I can tell the most important reason why I recommend it.

    The book shines new lights. For example, usually Te-form is treated as a "separated" conjugation, but the author of this book divides Te-form into smaller elements: the stems of verbs, and the suffixes. Therefore, almost all conjugations could be derived from the more basic units. Once you master what the stems of verbs are, you could easily conjugate verbs to Te-form, Ta-form and so forth. For me, it is much more methodic than treating each conjugation form as a separated one. It is helpful to construct the impression that all conjugations actually have connections, therefor avoid confusions.

    Previous thoughts:
    I have GENKI books and another Japanese grammar book, but I still bought this one.

    As described, the book is a printout for who prefer having a physical one (or dead trees) in hands. It was printed once I placed order, considering the cost of printing and binding and shipping, I think it is dirty cheap and totally disagree someone giving 3 stars because it is “just press” of free content from the author's website, especially the description has already clearly indicated that.

    I like the book because it doesn’t have ignoring Roma phonetic notions for whole sentences. I have browsed several Japanese grammar books, and really don’t like their clumsy phonetic notions. If someone even doesn’t want to grasp Hiragana, why bothers to learn grammar?

    By the way, in addition to assumption that potential readers have already mastered Hiragana, the author would expect they have know the most common Kanji, at least, learning. Otherwise, you may find it is a kind of challenge to begin with the "Basic Grammar".

    The book is organized in a clear structure of "grounding up", I agree it may make more sense than learning simple expressions first. I'm trying to master a language, not just go to Japan and order some dishes in a Japanese restaurant. Well, the GENKI books begin with a scenario of two students meeting each other, and most books teach this way, but I want to change the point of view, as the author stated, to the point of view of Japanese, because many Japanese expressions don't have direct counterparts in English. I also think that introducing masu-form expressions first is wired in other books, I do want to learn dictionary form of verbs first, then advance to conjugations.

    Since I have learned some, I mainly take this book as a quick reference easy to shuffle and write down notes, yeah, there are a lot of blank spaces in pages because of layout design. Oh, one more thing, the font size of the book I have suddenly becomes smaller from page 37 (section 3.4 Adjectives). Although I don't care about this issue, I hope the author could modify. And, I prefer to have a wider line space.

    Anyway, I really appreciate Tae Kim composed such a useful book.
    31 people found this helpful
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  • L.Hart
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blue book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I purchased the blue book version, printed in 2014, and it is smaller than the orange one (2012). It is easy to carry around in my purse around Tokyo. I've been studying using this textbook in Tokyo parks, restaurants, coffee shops, on the densha (JR train), while walking....

    It has a wax-like coated cover (which is great given that Japan rains a lot) and gives it a nice, soft feel on the hands. I just wish there was a kindle formatted version too. Please, Mr. Kim, onegaishimasu.

    Personally, my core set for learning Japanese, the cream-of-the-crop best items, is as follows:

    1. Genki I and II, including the workbooks, 2nd edition - the textbook for UCLA Japanese classes. Absolute gem of a book. This is your go-to "traditional" textbook.

    2. Heisig's Remembering the Kanji - Remember 2000 kanji in 2 months? Yes. It's amazing.

    3. Tae Kim's Guide to Japanese Grammar (my cliff notes) - Great refresher for stuff you learned. This book is like the golden notebook that you stole from that A+ student in your college Japanese class.

    4. "Japanese" app by Renzo Inc. from the Apple Store. Includes wwwjdic dictionary, all conjugations for every word (volitional, transitive, past, present, polite form, etc.) , a built in flashcard builder, kanji stroke order videos for all kanji, and more from this sweet app. Absolute must purchase. This is like a super-dictionary. Don't have an iPhone? Buy an iPod Touch 5th gen. and get this app. It is worth buying an iPod Touch just for this app.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Optional study supplementals which are great for learning Japanese:
    s1. White Rabbit Press - Kanji Flashcards 1, 2, 3 - best Japanese flashcards around with all the Joyou Kanji.
    s2. NihonShock's Cheat Sheet Pack - 10 laminated colorful notes of all the vital Japanese grammar
    s3. Anki - a flashcard program that lets you download shared cards created by other users & allows you to make your own flashcards on the computer.
    352 people found this helpful
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  • Michael R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT LISTEN TO 1 STAR REVIEWS
    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I scrolled through the book and there seems to be a weird smear campaign against this book, according to the images. This book goes over a lot of overlooked aspects of Japanese grammar, and I recommend it personally.
    Customer image
    Michael R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    DO NOT LISTEN TO 1 STAR REVIEWS

    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2025
    I scrolled through the book and there seems to be a weird smear campaign against this book, according to the images. This book goes over a lot of overlooked aspects of Japanese grammar, and I recommend it personally.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • RobDM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well explained
    Reviewed in Italy on April 25, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Very well made. It's got all you need to tackle this language right from the beginning.
    Report
  • Reuben Bryant
    5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Book
    Reviewed in Australia on June 12, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great guide, extensive. I wouldn't recommend to a new learner until you have cemented a solid foundational understanding as it skims over the basic grammar.
    Report
  • Ilya Watteau
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent pour comprendre la logique de la langue japonaise
    Reviewed in France on February 14, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Très bon livre pour apprendre le japonais en allant droit au but. Beaucoup de livres de ce type sont généralement très académiques et enseignent un Japonais archaïque que vous n'utiliserez jamais lors de vos discussions avec des locuteurs natifs. Ou alors ils, vous forcent à mémoriser par cœur tout un tas de règles que vous aurez aussitôt oublié une fois le cours terminé.

    Avec le livre de Tae Kim, je n'ai pas eu cette impression, la mise en page est certes spartiates, mais le contenu est de qualité et j'apprécie que l'auteur s'efforce d'expliquer la grammaire japonaise de la manière la plus simple et efficace possible. Si vous voulez non seulement apprendre, mais aussi comprendre la logique derrière la langue japonaise, ce livre devrait vous être utile
    Customer image
    Ilya Watteau
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Excellent pour comprendre la logique de la langue japonaise

    Reviewed in France on February 14, 2023
    Très bon livre pour apprendre le japonais en allant droit au but. Beaucoup de livres de ce type sont généralement très académiques et enseignent un Japonais archaïque que vous n'utiliserez jamais lors de vos discussions avec des locuteurs natifs. Ou alors ils, vous forcent à mémoriser par cœur tout un tas de règles que vous aurez aussitôt oublié une fois le cours terminé.

    Avec le livre de Tae Kim, je n'ai pas eu cette impression, la mise en page est certes spartiates, mais le contenu est de qualité et j'apprécie que l'auteur s'efforce d'expliquer la grammaire japonaise de la manière la plus simple et efficace possible. Si vous voulez non seulement apprendre, mais aussi comprendre la logique derrière la langue japonaise, ce livre devrait vous être utile
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  • Andre Ricardo Oyamada Otani
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente guia com ponto de vista fora do convencional!
    Reviewed in Brazil on June 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Estudo japonês há quase cinco anos. A principal dificuldade está relacionada com a sua gramática, extremamente diferente de outras línguas ocidentais. A forma de tradução, usada para a compreensão das estruturas gramaticais, é útil, evitando “forçar” a tradução para o japonês usando o inglês. Esse guia é um livro de consulta para se tirar duvidas, e deve ser usado em conjunto com o site “A Guide to Japanese”, do mesmo autor do livro, para ficar mais proveitoso.
    Altamente recomendado para quem quer destrinchar as particularidades dessa fascinante língua!
    Report
  • Daniel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best resource for Japanese grammar.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Straight to the point. Doesn’t sugar coat things. Written in a way an English native can understand. Doesn’t promise “fluent in 3 days” “learn all 2300 kanji in 60 seconds” or “it’s gonna be easy” aha. For those dedicated to the pretty arduous task of learning Japanese and it’s oh so unique grammar, I highly recommend this book.
    Report