し

And/moreover

Level 2Sounds Like shi

Use し to list reasons or characteristics. It functions like 'and' or 'moreover' but specifically suggests that the items listed are part of a larger set of reasons or qualities that support the same conclusion.

How It Works

The particle し is a versatile tool for listing multiple points.

1. Listing Reasons:
When you want to explain why you did something or why a situation exists, you can use し to list the causes. It often implies 'this, and that, and other things too.' These reasons usually point in the same direction (e.g., all positive or all negative).

2. Describing Qualities:
It can be used to list various traits of a person or object. It is very common to use the particle も instead of は or が to emphasize that 'this too' is a factor.
Example: 彼は親切だし、頭もいいです。(He is kind and also smart.)

3. Sentence-Ending Usage:
In conversation, し is frequently used at the end of a sentence to give a reason softly or to imply that there are more reasons the speaker isn't saying out loud.

Morphology:

  • Verbs: Plain form + し (行くし、食べたし) or Polite form + し (行きますし)
  • い-adjectives: Plain form + し (安いし、寒かったし) or Polite form + し (安いですし)
  • な-adjectives: Stem + だ + し (きれいだし) or Stem + です + し (きれいですし)
  • Nouns: Noun + だ + し (学生だし) or Noun + です + し (学生ですし)

Examples (5)

  1. この店は安いし、おいしいし、いつも混んでいます。

    This shop is cheap and delicious, (so) it's always crowded.

    Word by Word: This shop cheap, delicious, always crowded is.

    Here, し lists two positive reasons (cheap and delicious) that explain why the shop is crowded.

  2. 雨も降っているし、今日は出かけたくない。

    It's raining (among other things), so I don't want to go out today.

    Word by Word: Rain also falling, today as-for want-to-go-out-not.

    Using し suggests that the rain is a primary reason, but there might be other reasons for not wanting to go out.

  3. 日本語は面白いし、先生も優しいから、勉強が楽しいです。

    Japanese is interesting and the teacher is kind, so studying is fun.

    Word by Word: Japanese interesting, teacher also kind because, study fun is.

    し is used to list two positive attributes of the class that lead to the conclusion that studying is fun.

  4. 「どうしてパーティーに行かないの？」「明日、試験があるし…」

    "Why aren't you going to the party?" "(Because) I have an exam tomorrow, and (well)..."

    Word by Word: Why party to go-not? Tomorrow, exam exists...

    Ending the sentence with し makes the reason sound less blunt and implies there might be other factors (like needing to sleep early).

  5. このアパートはきれいですし、駅にも近いです。

    This apartment is clean and moreover it is close to the station.

    Word by Word: This apartment clean is, station to also close is.

    し can also be used with polite forms like です to list characteristics in a more formal tone.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting だ with nouns and な-adjectives.

    彼はきれいし、静かです。
    彼はきれいだし、静かです。

    Just like with the から particle, you must include the copula だ after nouns and な-adjectives before adding し.

  • Using し to list a chronological sequence of events.

    朝起きたし、朝ご飯を食べました。
    朝起きて、朝ご飯を食べました。

    し is for listing reasons or qualities, not for actions happening in order. For a sequence of events, use the て-form.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

しLevel 2And/moreover

Learn This First

To use 'し' for listing reasons or characteristics, you need to understand how to use plain forms of verbs and adjectives. Specifically, you must know how い-adjectives and な-adjectives (with the copula 'だ') connect to particles in their dictionary forms.

Words in This Pattern