Because...から...
こんにちは皆さん！私はサクラです。Today we are going to be talking about the different ways of saying "because," "for that reason," and other similar terms. For some, it can be frustrating when people make excuses such as "There was heavy traffic," or "It's too heavy," and other things. However, if you find yourself in a situation where something happens or you cannot do certain things, you may need to explain yourself. Here are several terms that can help you in such a predicament.
1.から (Kara)
から translates to "because" and is used to explain the reason or cause of a situation, suggestion and other things. There are two ways to go about using this. One can state the situation, then explain in the next sentence and end it with から. Another version has から in the middle, where the reason is stated early before the situation. Keep in mind, when using the latter, you must make sure that the reason is in short form. For example, if you want to say "I did not go out because it was raining" while using the first version, you would say 「私は出かけませんでした。雨が降っていましたから」(Watashi wa dekakemasendeshita. Ame ga futteimashita kara). However, if you use the second version, you would have to say 「雨が降っていたから、私は出かけませんでした」(Ame ga futteita kara, watashi wa dekakemasendeshita).
Examples 私の猫がいないから、悲しいです。
Watashi no neko ga inai kara, kanashii desu.
Because my cat is not here, I am sad.
ちこくしました。私は事故がありましたから。
Chikokushimashita. Watashi wa jiko ga arimashita.
I was arriving late. This is because I had an accident.
せいせきがよくなかったから、彼はちょっと怒っています。
Seiseki ga yokunakatta kara, kare wa chotto okotteimasu.
Because the grade was not good, he is a little mad.
２．ので (Node)
This term is used similarly to how から is used when explaining the reason first and the situation second. However, ので is more formal. Additionally, if you were to use Na adjectives or nouns before stating the situation, the spelling will depend on which term you will use. If you said, "Because she's a student, she's studying a lot" and choose to use から、you would have to say 「彼女は学生だから、たくさん勉強しています」(Kanojo wa gakusei da kara, takusan benkyoushiteimasu). However, if you use ので、you would say 「彼女は学生なので、たくさん勉強しています」(Kanojo wa gakusei na node, takusan benkyoushiteimasu).
Examples
彼が元気なので、私も元気です。
Kare ga genki na node, watashi mo genki desu.
Because he is fine, I am as well.
この授業が難しいので、心配します。
Kono jyugyou ga muzukashii node, shinpaishimasu.
Because this class is hard, I worry.
彼が警察なので、よく働いています。
Kare ga keisatsu na node, yoku hataraiteimasu.
Because he is a police officer, he oftentimes works.
3. し (Shi)
For sentences that have more than one reason, it would be useful to use し. Using し, one can list the various reasons for the situation. However, one can also just say one reason to show that it is not the only cause behind the situation. If you said, "This year has been fun because, for one thing, I go out more often," it would be 「よく出かけるし、今年は楽しいです」(Yoku dekakerushi, kotoshi wa tanoshii desu). One can list the reasons before or after the situation, however you must make sure these reasons are in short forms. You also have to use だ for Na adjectives and nouns.
Examples
日本の文化が面白いし、食べ物がおいしいし、日本に行きたいです。
Nihon no bunka ga omoshiroishi, tabemono ga oishiishi, nihon ni ikitai desu.
Because the Japanese culture is interesting and the food is delicious, I want to go to Japan.
ジョンさんは行けません。彼は病気だし、今、車がないし。
Jon san wa ikemasen. Kare wa byoukidashi, ima, kuruma ga naishi.
John can't go out. He is sick and doesn't have a car right now.
4. ため、結果 (Tame, kekka)
ため and 結果 can be use interchangeably, but the former can be used to state the reason rather than saying "For this/that reason," or "Because of this/that."
Examples
その結果、来週が忙しいかもしれません。
Sonokekka, raishuu ga isogashii kamoshiremasen.
Because of that, next week might be busy.
このため、これが買えません。
Konotame, kore ga kaemasen.
For this reason, I cannot buy this.
昨日の夜、忙しすぎたため、早く起きませんでした。
Kinou no yoru, isogashisugita tame, hayaku okimasendeshita.
Because I was too busy last night, I did not get up early.
Stating the reason for a situation can be hard, especially if it is out of your control. But, if you know how to use these terms properly, it can be less daunting.That's it for today's lesson! これが終わります！ありがとうございました。
Illustration was made by yours-truly
