tāpēc

So and Therefore: Tāpēc

Level 2

First the reason, then a comma, then tāpēc and the result: Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās. (It is raining, so I am staying at home.)

How It Works

Reason, then result.

  • Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās. (It is raining, so I am staying at home.)
  • Man nav laika, tāpēc es nenāku. (I don't have time, so I'm not coming.)

Compare the same idea with jo: Es palieku mājās, jo līst. The facts are the same. Only the order changes.

Starting a new sentence. Tāpēc can also begin a sentence and point back to the one before: Vakar bija auksti. Tāpēc mēs palikām mājās. (It was cold yesterday. That's why we stayed at home.) It often comes after un: …, un tāpēc … (and so …).

Tāpēc ka: because. With ka, the phrase introduces the reason instead. Like jo, it comes after the main clause: Es palieku mājās, tāpēc ka līst. (I am staying at home because it is raining.) To stress that this is the reason, tāpēc can stay in the main clause, with the comma before ka: Es palieku mājās tāpēc, ka līst. (It is because it is raining that I am staying at home.)

Kāpēc and tāpēc. The question word kāpēc (why) and tāpēc (that's why) are a pair, like kur and tur. See question words.

Similar words. Tādēļ means the same as tāpēc. Tātad (so, then) draws a conclusion rather than giving a result.

Examples (5)

  1. Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās.

    It is raining, so I am staying at home.

    Word by Word: Rains, therefore I stay at-home.

  2. Man nav laika, tāpēc es nenāku.

    I don't have time, so I'm not coming.

    Word by Word: To-me is-not of-time, therefore I not-come.

  3. Viņš ir slims, tāpēc viņš nestrādā.

    He is ill, so he isn't working.

  4. Vakar bija auksti. Tāpēc mēs palikām mājās.

    It was cold yesterday. That's why we stayed at home.

    Tāpēc can begin a new sentence and point back to the one before.

  5. Es palieku mājās, tāpēc ka līst.

    I am staying at home because it is raining.

    With ka, tāpēc ka means because and comes after the main clause, like jo.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting tāpēc before the reason.

    Es palieku mājās, tāpēc līst.
    Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās.

    Tāpēc introduces the result, not the reason. As written, the sentence says that staying at home makes it rain. Put the reason first, or use jo: Es palieku mājās, jo līst.

  • Using jo and tāpēc in the same sentence.

    Jo līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās.
    Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās.

    One sentence needs only one of them. Tāpēc already shows that the first part is the reason, and jo cannot start the sentence anyway.

  • Leaving out the comma before tāpēc.

    Līst tāpēc es palieku mājās.
    Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās.

    Tāpēc starts a second clause here, so a comma goes before it.

How It Connects

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

tāpēcLevel 2So and Therefore: Tāpēc

Learn This First

Tāpēc gives a result.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

tāpēc ka