Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 5: 2/12

ので

Because, So, Since, The reason being

Structure

Verb + ので + Phrase
［い］Adjective + ので + Phrase
［な］Adjective + な + ので + Phrase
Noun + な + ので + Phrase

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Particle

  • Word Type

    Conjunctive Particle

  • Register

    Standard

  • 品詞

    助詞

  • 単語の種類

    接続助詞

  • 使用域

    一般

About ので

ので is a Japanese grammar structure called a conjunction particle. This means that it connects two parts of a sentence 'logically'. The connection that ので makes between (A), and (B), is similar to から, meaning that it is often translated as 'because', or 'since'.

When used after な-Adjectives or nouns, な must precede ので.

When used as 'since', ので puts emphasis on the sentence as a whole, or on the effects caused. It then examines those reasons objectively (in a way that is based on facts, rather than feelings or opinions). から tends to be more subjective, and can sound much more vague when used as 'because'.

We can see here that から is not quite as strong as ので. This relates back to the base meaning of から being 'from', rather than 'because'.

Caution

ので can sometimes be seen as んで, which is a more casual variation. Also, unlike many grammar points that connect to verbs, ので may be used with the ます form. This is something that is unique to conjunction particles.

  • 今(いま)テストがあるんで、後(あと)で電話(でんわ)します。
    Because I have a test now, I will call you later.
  • 明日(あした)はお客(きゃく)が来(き)ますので、掃除(そうじ)をします。
    Since a guest is coming tomorrow, I am going to clean.

Examples

  • 私(わたし)は寿司(すし) が好(す)きではないので、食(た)べない。

    I don't like sushi, so I don't eat it.

  • 今日(きょう)は時間(じかん)がないので、明日(あした)に漢字(かんじ)を教(おし)えます。

    Because we don't have time today, I will teach you kanji tomorrow.

  • 今日(きょう)は先生(せんせい)が休(やす)みなので、授業(じゅぎょう)がなくなった。

    Since the teacher has the day off today, classes were cancelled.

  • 土曜日(どようび)なので、旅行(りょこう)に行(い)きたい。

    Because it is Saturday, I want to go on a trip.

  • 今日(きょう)は一月(いちがつ)二十日(はつか)なので、彼(かれ)の誕生日(たんじょうび)です。

    Since today is January 20th, it is his birthday.

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ので – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (22 in total)

  • Marcus

    Marcus

    Grammar!!!

    Thank you so much @nekoyama !

  • MikkaT

    MikkaT

    Hi,
    would it be possible to translate ので and から as “that’s why” as well?
    I does seem to work for every example sentence.
    I makes some of them even easier to match the Japanese examples in my opinion.

    I don’t eat vegetables because I don’t like them.
    would become:
    I don’t like vegetables, that’s why I don’t eat them.

    That would be mich closer to the structure of the Japanese sentence:
    やさい がきらいだから, たべません

    or

    I go to the gym because I am weak.
    would become:
    I am weak, that’s why I go to the gym.
    Again matching the Japanese sentence:
    わたしはよわいので、ジムへいきます。

    Would that be possible or is there maybe a problem with mix ups with other grammar I still don’t know about?

  • IcyIceBear

    IcyIceBear

    Personally for those, I switched my English around instead.
    “Because I am weak, I go to the gym. "
    " I am weak, so I go to the gym”

    “Because I don’t like vegetables, I don’t eat them”
    " I don’t like vegetables so I don’t eat them"

    I don’t see a huge problem with your interpretation of it, because honestly the English you translate it to in your head/on paper to make sense of it is just a foothold for now. As you learn new grammar and gain experience with the old, your “translations” or feelings/sense of the grammar points will shift and adjust to make room for more to place next to them. So for now sure let them be “that’s why” but don’t be surprised if that gets more elaborate/ changes slightly as you gain experience and comparable vocab/grammar.

    But also remember you are learning Japanese , which wasn’t made for the purpose of being closely translated to English. It’s go...

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