For the sole purpose of: 〜んがため（に）
Verb in ない without ない + んがため（に）／んがための + noun（する → せんがため）
V (ない without ない) + んがため（に）／んがための: “for the sole purpose of”, a goal pursued at all costs. Very written; 売らんがため has a critical nuance.
In short
〜んがため（に） is the literary, emphatic version of 〜ために: “for the sole purpose of, solely in order to”. The goal is pursued with extreme determination, sometimes at the expense of everything else (生きんがために働く). 売らんがための商法 has a critical nuance: “anything to make a sale”. Very written register.
- 彼は生きんがために、どんな仕事でも引き受けた。かれはいきんがために、どんなしごとでもひきうけた。To survive, he took on any work at all.
- 真相を明らかにせんがため、記者は危険を冒して取材を続けた。しんそうをあきらかにせんがため、きしゃはきけんをおかしてしゅざいをつづけた。Determined to bring the truth to light, the journalist kept investigating at great personal risk.
- これは売らんがための宣伝にすぎない。これはうらんがためのせんでんにすぎない。This is nothing but advertising designed purely to sell.
The basics
Here again is the classical ん of will (formerly む), the one in 〜んとする. 〜んがため literally means “with a view to wanting to do”: a goal pushed to the extreme, one that justifies every sacrifice — English “purely in order to”, “at all costs”.
Depending on context, the nuance is admiring (a heroic sacrifice) or critical (anything for money, anything to win).
To survive, he took on any work at all.
- noun
- verb
- grammatical form
- 子どもを守らんがために、母親は自らの危険を顧みなかった。こどもをまもらんがために、ははおやはみずからのきけんをかえりみなかった。To protect her child, the mother gave no thought to the danger she was in.
How to form it
ない-form without ない + んがため（に）. Before a noun: んがための. する becomes せんがため. The final に is often dropped in writing.
| Verb | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 生きる | 生きんがために | solely in order to live |
| 勝つ | 勝たんがための作戦 | a tactic purely for winning |
| 売る | 売らんがための商法 | anything-to-sell business practices |
| する | 合格せんがため | for the sole purpose of passing |
- 勝たんがために手段を選ばない姿勢には、批判も多い。かたんがためにしゅだんをえらばないしせいには、ひはんもおおい。This win-at-all-costs attitude draws a lot of criticism.
- 売らんがための過剰な広告が問題になっている。うらんがためのかじょうなこうこくがもんだいになっている。Excessive advertising aimed purely at selling has become a problem.
んがため, ために, べく, ようと
〜ために is the neutral, everyday purpose. 〜べく (N1) is written and restrained: 夢を実現すべく留学した. 〜ようと stresses the intention at the moment of acting. 〜んがため adds dramatic tension: the goal is vital or obsessive.
| Sentence | Nuance |
|---|---|
| 生きるために働く | work to live (neutral) |
| 生きるべく働く | work in order to live (written, restrained) |
| 生きようと必死に働く | work desperately to get by |
| 生きんがために働く | work to survive, at all costs (dramatic) |
- 彼は夢を実現すべく、単身アメリカへ渡った。かれはゆめをじつげんすべく、たんしんあめりかへわたった。In order to realise his dream, he went to the United States alone. (べく, restrained)
- 健康のために、毎朝歩いている。けんこうのために、まいあさあるいている。I walk every morning for my health. (neutral: んがため would be ridiculous)
Common mistakes
- Using it for a trivial goal: “コーヒーを飲まんがために” is comical. Keep it for serious stakes.
- Reading ん as a negative: 生きんがため means “in order to live”, not “in order not to live”.
- Conjugating する as “しんがため”: the form is せんがため.
8 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Hokkaidō Line (Classical and formal language) of the Shinkansen.