I've done RTK and will be finishing the Genki textbook series soon, and was wondering about the online resources that go over grammar. I can't really tell the difference between Tae Kim's grammar guide and his complete guide, and it seems that there is another IMABI guide which seems to aim for the same thing.

Which one would you suggest, and how would you suggest utilizing the resources?

Just read and look up grammar as you come across it. No point going much further than the basics before you start reading, just get into it. Imabi is easier to look things up when you come across them, same with dictionary of grammar.

The 'Grammar Guide' is the shorter, more concise presentation of all the key elements of Japanese grammar. It explains pretty much every grammatical construct in modern Japanese - though not of course every word or expression, and not everything from classical Japanese which is a whole other thing.

The 'Complete Guide' is more meant to replace a textbook course, and presents the same information as the Grammar Guide but with more examples, more detailed explanation, etc, etc. Same stuff, more handholding.

Both Tae Kim's guides use his unique approach to the language based on his (quite good) understanding of the language. It does involve some odd pseudo-english examples to demonstrate how Japanese grammar works that puts off some people. Some of his terminology and grammatical theory is at odds to traditional ways of teaching, but it is all consistent within itself and with the language.


Imabi pretty much tries to compile all the traditional explanations in textbook style on a website. It gets pretty dense in detail at times.

Personally, I went through Tae Kim's Grammar Guide after completing a textbook course, and found the alternative point of view - as well as a few points that hadn't been covered in my text - to be valuable in rounding out my understanding of Japanese grammar. I'd say that could work for you too. I wouldn't recommend the complete guide for someone who has completed a textbook course -- the Complete guide is more for those who are avoiding using a traditional textbook at all.

It doesn't hurt to spend time on Imabi either, although much of it will be redundant with your textbook; in any case it makes a good reference site for you to keep bookmarked.

If you ever feel up to studying Japanese Grammar in the Japanese Language, I recommend Niwasaburoo,
http://www.geocities.jp/niwasaburoo/ (庭　三郎　の　現代日本語文法概説). His 'outline' covers pretty much every important point of modern Japanese Grammar. It is slow going though if you aren't already comfortable reading Japanese texts. Perhaps best in your case to bookmark and check in a year or so.

I would second what vtx4848 said. You are well prepared now to start reading Japanese. Japanese-subtitled anime is a good way to get started.

You can look up grammar (and vocabulary) as you encounter it and start learning organically.

Reading over grammar from an alternative point of view isn't a bad idea either. I did quite a bit of that and it does deepen one's understanding. But nothing can substitute for actually starting to use the language.

Thank you so much for the link, Chris-san. I have been looking for something like this.

It's not online. but I would go through the Tobira textbook next. As well as Core 6000 or the equivalent if you haven't done so yet.

Tae Kim is great and very complete, but difficult just because of that.

vtx4848 Wrote:Just read and look up grammar as you come across it. No point going much further than the basics before you start reading, just get into it. Imabi is easier to look things up when you come across them, same with dictionary of grammar.

In my experience, studying grammar in the form of sentence fragments and not so much abstractly worded rules (organized into Anki decks) really gave me a leg up when it came to trying to make sense of the way Japanese sentences I encountered in anime were structured. While I can't make a direct comparison to not entrenching oneself in the grammar beforehand and looking everything up on the go (since I haven't tried that route), I do suspect that really getting both the basics and a lot of the intermediate stuff down beforehand is the quicker route. That way, not only do you simply already know a lot of the stuff you will encounter, but it also provides you with an indication that some form you don't recognize is probably rather advanced, since otherwise it would have at least jarred some memories of having previously studied it.

Although I feel a little embarrassed plugging my own decks this way, I feel I benefited a lot from the following two decks I created (and frequently revised) for this purpose:
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1119294196 (Verb Combinations & Conjugations version 1.05)
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/563967761 (General Grammar version 1.03)

Thank you. I'm thinking Tobira might be an option, so that I can have an easier time when I start reading more, but I guess even here people have differing opinions about this. Of course, both methods will probably work, and although one will be slower, I'll probably be fine regardless . Whether with the dictionary of Grammar or something like Imabi, I'll be able to look up things, having seen then in a textbook or not.

Anyway, thanks Chris for the actual answer to the first question, regarding the difference between the guides.

[Zgarbas]

I didn't keep up with imabi because learning bases and stuff seemed like a waste of time, but now I regret not learning them =( .

Also, check out the dictionaries of japanese grammar series, they're amazing.