because of ~, due to ~

Intermediate

20-25 min

common

Expert Reviewed

Explanation

Expresses reason or cause (cannot be controlled).

[Noun/な-adj + な/い-adj/Verb た-form] + ために

台風のために、学校が休みになった。

Taifuu no tame ni, gakkou ga yasumi ni natta.

School was closed because of the typhoon.

雨が降ったために、試合が中止された。

Ame ga futta tame ni, shiai ga chuushi sareta.

The game was cancelled because it rained.

Cannot be used for reasons involving speaker's volition/request.

～ために

for the purpose of ~, in order to ~

～てもいいです

may do ~, it's okay to do ~

～てはいけません

must not do ~, not allowed to do ~

～なければなりません

must do ~, have to do ~

～なくてもいいです

don't have to do ~, don't need to do ~

Distinguish between purpose and reason usage.

JLPTBooks Editorial Team

Japanese Language Education Specialists

Last updated: Jan 2

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