から（理由）

Because

Level 1Sounds Like kara

から (kara) connects a reason to a result. It is subjective, meaning it highlights the speaker's personal opinion, intent, or motivation.

How It Works

から is a fundamental particle for explaining 'why' something happens. It is highly versatile and used in both casual and polite speech.

1. How to Attach:

  • Verbs: Use the ます form or the Plain Form (which includes dictionary, negative, and past forms). (例: 食べるから / 食べないから / 食べたから)
  • い-Adjectives: Attach directly to the plain form or the です form for extra politeness. (例: 寒いから / 寒いですから)
  • Nouns & な-Adjectives: You MUST add the copula だ or です before から. (例: 雨だから / 好きですから)

2. Subjective Nuance:
から emphasizes the speaker's own logic and can sound quite assertive. Because of this, it is the standard choice when the second part of the sentence is a command, an invitation, or a strong opinion. However, in formal or apologetic situations, から can sometimes sound defensive; in those cases, the softer ので is often preferred.

3. Word Order:
In standard Japanese, the reason comes before the result. However, in natural spoken Japanese, this order is frequently inverted for emphasis (e.g., 「学校に行かない。雨だから。」).

Examples (5)

  1. 明日、テストがあるから、今日は勉強します。

    Because there is a test tomorrow, I will study today.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow, test exists because, today as-for study do.

    Here, から follows the dictionary form of the verb ある (to exist) to explain the reason for studying.

  2. 危ないですから、気をつけてください。

    It is dangerous, so please be careful.

    Word by Word: Dangerous is because, care (object) attach please.

    This uses the polite ですから. It is a common way to give a warning or advice politely.

  3. 「どうして食べないの？」「お腹がいっぱいだから。」

    “Why aren't you eating?” “Because I'm full.”

    Word by Word: “Why eat-not?” “Stomach (subject) full is because.”

    から can be used at the end of a sentence to answer a 'Why' question directly. With a な-adjective like いっぱい, you must include だ.

  4. 寒かったから、窓を閉めました。

    Because it was cold, I closed the window.

    Word by Word: Cold-was because, window (object) closed.

    から attaches to the plain past form (寒かった) of い-adjectives to show a past reason.

  5. 時間がなかったから、朝ご飯を食べませんでした。

    Because there was no time, I didn't eat breakfast.

    Word by Word: Time (subject) existed-not because, breakfast (object) ate-not.

    から attaches to the plain negative past form (なかった) of the verb ある.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 'da' to い-adjectives before 'kara'.

    高いだか​​ら買いません。
    高いから買いません。

    Unlike nouns and な-adjectives, い-adjectives attach directly to から. Adding だ is a common error for beginners.

  • Dropping 'da' or 'desu' for nouns.

    雨から、行きません。
    雨だから、行きません。

    If you say 「雨（あめ）から」, it means 'From the rain.' To say 'Because it is rain,' you must use the copula だ or です before から.

  • Assuming the reason must always come before the result in speech.

    （なし）
    学校に行かない。雨だから。

    While textbooks teach the reason-first order, learners often think it is a mistake to invert them. In natural conversation, it is very common to state the result first and then add the reason for emphasis.

How It Connects

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から（理由）Level 1Because

Learn This First

To use から (reason), you need to understand how to form basic sentences using the copula (です or だ) because the particle attaches to the end of a clause to indicate that the preceding statement is the cause or reason for something else.

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