Due to (written): 〜ため（に）
plain form (な-adj + な / Noun + の) + ため（に）/ ためだ
Plain form (な-adj + な, Noun + の) + ため（に）: “due to”, an objective cause, written tone. After a deliberate action in the dictionary form, ため goes back to meaning “in order to”.
In short
You know ため（に） meaning “in order to” (N4). The same word is also used to give a cause, objectively and in a rather written style: 大雪のため、電車が遅れています, “due to heavy snow, trains are delayed”. It's the tone of announcements, newspapers and reports.
- 大雪のため、電車が遅れています。おおゆきのため、でんしゃがおくれています。Due to heavy snow, trains are running late.
- 工事のため、この道は通れません。こうじのため、このみちはとおれません。Due to roadworks, this road is closed to traffic.
- 体調が悪かったため、会議を休みました。たいちょうがわるかったため、かいぎをやすみました。As I was unwell, I did not attend the meeting.
The basics
ため basically means “that for which” or “that because of which” something happens. When what precedes it is a fact that's already real (a past event, a state, a noun like 雨 or 工事), ため gives a cause. It's the equivalent of English “due to”, “owing to”, “because of”.
The tone is neutral and objective: you're not thanking (おかげで) or blaming (せいで), you're stating. You read it in announcements, posted notices, the news and letters.
Due to heavy snow, trains are running late.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 台風のため、本日の船は全て運休です。たいふうのため、ほんじつのふねはすべてうんきゅうです。Due to the typhoon, all ferry services are cancelled today.
- 人が多すぎたため、中に入れなかった。ひとがおおすぎたため、なかにはいれなかった。There were too many people, so we couldn't get in.
How to form it
ため is a noun: verb or い-adjective in the plain form, な-adjective + な, noun + の. に is optional and often dropped in writing. At the end of a sentence: 〜ためだ / 〜ためです.
| Word | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb | plain form | 雨が降ったため |
| い-adjective | plain form | 道が狭いため |
| な-adjective | 〜な | 不便なため |
| noun | 〜の | 工事のため |
| end of sentence | 〜ためだ | 遅れたのは事故のためだ |
- このあたりは道が狭いため、車では入れません。このあたりはみちがせまいため、くるまではいれません。The streets around here are narrow, so you can't get in by car.
- 電車が止まったのは、強風のためだ。でんしゃがとまったのは、きょうふうのためだ。The train stopped because of strong winds.
Cause or purpose?
This is the main trap. ため（に） expresses purpose when it follows a deliberate action verb in the dictionary form: 学ぶため（に） = in order to learn. It expresses a cause when it follows a past tense, a state, a negative, an adjective, or an event noun: 降ったため = because it rained.
| Sentence | What comes before ため | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お茶を習うため、京都に来た | deliberate action, dictionary form | purpose: in order to learn |
| 熱が出たため、学校を休んだ | past | cause: because |
| 人が多いため、入れない | adjective (state) | cause: because |
| 工事のため、通れない | event noun | cause: due to |
- お茶を習うため、京都に引っ越した。おちゃをならうため、きょうとにひっこした。I moved to Kyoto to learn the tea ceremony.
- 熱が出たため、学校を休んだ。ねつがでたため、がっこうをやすんだ。Since I had a fever, I didn't go to school.
ため, から, ので, せいで
から is spoken and subjective, ので polite and neutral, せいで accusing, ため objective and written. After ため, you don't put a request or an invitation: you don't say 雨のため、帰りましょう, but 雨だから、帰りましょう.
| Form | Register | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| 〜から | spoken | personal reason, can go with an order |
| 〜ので | polite, neutral | gentle explanation |
| 〜せいで | spoken and written | blame |
| 〜ため（に） | written, announcements | objective statement |
- 雨だから、早く帰ろう。あめだから、はやくかえろう。It's raining, let's hurry home. (spoken, with an invitation)
Common mistakes
- Mixing up cause and purpose: 合格するため = “in order to pass”; 合格したため = “because I passed”.
- Forgetting の after a noun: 雨ため is wrong; it's 雨のため.
- Using ため in a relaxed conversation between friends: it sounds like a press release; say から or ので instead.
7 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 N3 point is on the Hankyū Kyōto Line (Relationships) of the Kyoto lines.