Knowing that 食べさせられなかった means “was not made to eat” is one thing. Producing it without pausing is another. At N3 and N2, weak verb forms can slow your reading, listening, and speaking even when you know the grammar point.
The most useful Japanese verb conjugation apps make you retrieve forms, spot small errors, and meet them again inside full sentences. A quick multiple-choice quiz rarely does enough. The right tool depends on whether you need focused drills, JLPT grammar review, or a wider daily-study system.
Start by choosing the kind of practice your current mistakes require.
What intermediate conjugation practice should test
Beginners often need to memorize the te-form. Intermediate learners need faster control across related forms, register, and sentence context. You should be able to move from 読む to 読ませる, 読まされる, or 読んでしまった without rebuilding the verb from scratch.
Productive recall matters more than recognition
A useful app shows the dictionary form and asks you to type or build the target form. Recognition still has a place, especially when you are tired, but it can hide gaps.
For example, seeing 書かれる and identifying it as passive is easier than converting 書く into passive yourself. Typed answers expose whether you remember the godan shift, 書く -> 書かれる, rather than confusing it with the potential form, 書ける.
The form needs a reason to exist
Conjugation charts are reference material. They become learning material when an app pairs a form with meaning and context.
An N2 learner should distinguish these examples:
- 部長に報告書を書かされた, “I was made to write a report by my manager.”
- このペンなら細かい字が書ける, “With this pen, I can write small characters.”
- その本は夏目漱石によって書かれた, “That book was written by Natsume Soseki.”
The endings look related, yet their grammar and subject roles differ. Good practice returns to that distinction repeatedly.
A conjugation app can build speed, but it cannot teach the social meaning of every form by itself. Pair drills with sentences you hear and read.
Japanese verb conjugation apps: a practical shortlist
There is no single winner for every intermediate learner. Dedicated drill tools build accuracy fastest, while broader grammar platforms help you retain forms in the larger JLPT syllabus.
| App | Strongest fit | Practice style | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Conjugation City | Focused form recall | Custom tests and charts | Narrow study scope |
| Conjugaizen | Typed drills across many forms | Browser and mobile drills | Less established as a full course |
| Bunpro | JLPT grammar retention | SRS sentence review | Not a pure conjugation trainer |
| Renshuu | All-in-one daily study | Grammar, vocab, kanji, reviews | Many features require setup |
| Bunpo | Guided grammar lessons | Quizzes and explanations | Less direct form drilling |
| Japanese Verb App | Quick reference and basic drills | Form lookup and practice | Lighter intermediate coverage |
The best fit comes down to your recurring problem. If causative-passive and conditionals keep breaking down, use a drill-first tool. If you forget grammar patterns after learning them, use an SRS grammar app.
Japanese Conjugation City for targeted form drills
Japanese Conjugation City is the clearest choice when you want a tool that stays close to the problem. Its current App Store listing describes practice and tests for close to 30 verb conjugations and six adjective conjugations.
That scope reaches well beyond polite present and te-form review. It can support drills for potential, passive, causative, causative-passive, volitional, imperative, and conditional patterns.
Use custom tests to attack a weak family of forms
At intermediate level, avoid random review of every ending when one category causes the trouble. Build a short session around godan verbs in passive and causative-passive forms.
Try verbs with different final kana: 読む, 書く, 話す, 待つ, 遊ぶ, and 急ぐ. This prevents you from memorizing only one template. Then add する and 来る, because irregular verbs deserve their own repetitions.
The app’s charts can confirm an answer after you attempt it. Don’t read the chart first. Recall first, check second, then say a complete sentence aloud.
Where it falls short
Japanese Conjugation City does not replace grammar explanations or extensive reading. It tells you how a form changes, but it gives less help with when a speaker would choose わけではない, ことになっている, or ざるを得ない.
Treat it as a compact workout tool. Fifteen focused minutes can repair an error pattern that keeps resurfacing in other study.
Conjugaizen for typed Japanese conjugation practice
Conjugaizen is another strong option when you want direct production instead of a broad course. Its Google Play description lists verb practice across forms including te-form, conditionals, potential, passive, causative, causative-passive, volitional, and imperative.
The service also offers kana, vocabulary, and sentence activities. Still, its core appeal for intermediate learners is active form recall.
A browser-first option with low commitment
Conjugaizen runs in a browser and does not require an account to begin drilling. That makes it practical for someone who studies on a work computer or doesn’t want another subscription before testing the method.
Its official information describes a free core experience with optional supporter features. Since store prices and purchase options can differ by country and mobile platform, check the listing shown to you before subscribing.
Typed feedback is especially helpful for forms such as 飲ませられる. You need to decide whether the sentence calls for causative, passive, or causative-passive before you type.
Use it after studying a grammar point
A productive sequence works well: read a clear explanation, complete a small set of typed conjugation drills, then find the form in native material. The final step prevents the form from becoming an isolated puzzle.
For example, after reviewing the ば conditional, drill 行けば, 飲めば, and すれば. Next, notice why 雨が降れば、試合は中止です differs in tone and structure from 雨が降ったら、帰りましょう.
Bunpro and Renshuu for long-term retention
Dedicated Japanese verb conjugation apps improve mechanics. However, N3 and N2 progress depends on retaining grammar in sentences where several structures appear together. Bunpro and Renshuu work better for that job.
Bunpro connects forms to a JLPT grammar path
Bunpro uses spaced repetition and sentence-based grammar review. Its web pricing lists a free tier, a $5 monthly plan, a $150 lifetime option, and a 30-day trial. Apple in-app prices can be higher, so compare the checkout screen on your preferred platform.
Its manual-input reviews can reveal if you know the precise ending that completes a sentence. That is valuable for grammar such as ばかりか, ようにする, ことにする, and ものの, where conjugation and construction meet.
For a closer look at its review method and trade-offs, see this Bunpro JLPT grammar review. Bunpro works best alongside targeted drills if your basic transformations remain slow.
Renshuu suits a broader study routine
Renshuu combines grammar with vocabulary, kanji, reading, games, and personalized review. The official Renshuu site offers access on the web as well as links to its mobile apps.
Its free version has substantial study content. In the U.S. App Store, listed Pro purchases have included a $6.99 subscription, $49.99 yearly access, and $109.99 lifetime access, with other offers also appearing. Regional storefronts and promotions can change those figures.
Renshuu is a better match if you want conjugation review to sit beside JLPT vocabulary and kanji. A detailed Renshuu app review can help you decide whether its wider feature set suits your habits.
Bunpo and Japanese Verb App as supporting tools
Bunpo is a structured grammar course rather than a specialist conjugation drill. Its Google Play listing says it covers JLPT N5 through N1, with more than 1,800 example sentences and 8,000 interactive quizzes.
That makes Bunpo useful when you need a compact lesson before practice. An intermediate learner can review conditional forms, passive constructions, and honorific language in a planned sequence. Monthly and yearly subscriptions are available, while prices differ by app store and region.
Japanese Verb App takes the opposite approach. Its App Store listing presents a reference-oriented tool for verb changes and auxiliary-verb forms. It is useful for checking a form quickly, especially when you need a mobile chart.
Keep a dictionary beside your drill app
Jisho is a dictionary, not a conjugation trainer. Still, it belongs in an intermediate toolkit because you can check a verb’s transitivity, readings, meanings, and example sentences.
When you encounter 増える and 増やす, don’t only memorize their forms. Look up each verb, write a sentence, and mark which one takes an object. That extra minute prevents a common intermediate error.
How to choose the right app for your weakness
Choose based on your study behavior, not a feature list alone. A well-designed app that you open four days a week beats an elaborate system you avoid.
Use this guide when narrowing your choice:
- Pick Japanese Conjugation City or Conjugaizen if you can explain grammar but freeze when producing endings.
- Choose Bunpro if you want an ordered JLPT grammar path with scheduled sentence review.
- Use Renshuu if you want grammar, kanji, and vocabulary review in one place.
- Add Bunpo when short lessons and plentiful quizzes help you absorb a grammar point before reviewing it.
- Keep Japanese Verb App or Jisho available for fast reference, but don’t make reference lookup your primary practice.
If you are choosing between the two larger systems, this Bunpro and Renshuu comparison breaks down their different approaches to grammar review.
A 20-minute conjugation routine that sticks
Daily volume matters less than corrective repetition. Use a short routine that brings difficult forms back before they fade.
Start with five minutes of error review
Review only the forms you missed yesterday. Say the dictionary form, target form, and a short sentence. For example: 連れて行く -> 連れて行かれる -> 子どもは親に連れて行かれた.
Next, do ten minutes of new drills. Limit the session to one category, such as potential versus passive, or the four common conditional patterns.
Finish with real sentences
Spend five minutes reading examples in a graded reader, news article, or JLPT passage. Save one sentence that uses the day’s form naturally.
A flashcard with the whole sentence is stronger than a card containing only させられる. You are training a response you can recognize and use, not reciting a chart.
Final Thoughts
The strongest Japanese verb conjugation apps make errors visible before those errors become habits. Dedicated drills improve recall speed, while Bunpro, Renshuu, and Bunpo place forms inside grammar you need for N3 and N2.
Use one primary review system and one focused drill tool. Fast, accurate recall turns verb conjugation from a study topic into usable Japanese.
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