because of ~ (negative)

Beginner

15-20 min

very common

Expert Reviewed

Explanation

Expresses blame for negative outcomes.

[Noun + の/Plain form] + せいで

雨のせいで、試合が中止になった。

Ame no sei de, shiai ga chuushi ni natta.

Because of the rain, the game was cancelled.

寝坊したせいで、遅刻してしまった。

Nebou shita sei de, chikoku shite shimatta.

Because I overslept, I ended up being late.

Only for negative outcomes. For positive, use おかげで.

～おかげで

thanks 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 ~

Use when something bad happened due to a cause.

JLPTBooks Editorial Team

Japanese Language Education Specialists

Last updated: Jan 2

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