文法 · JLPT N5 grammar

〜から (because)

kara · because ~, so

から after a sentence gives the reason: 雨だから行きません, I won't go because it's raining. The reason comes first.

How to form it

Plain or polite form + から寒いから
Noun / な-adj + だから雨だから
〜からです (giving the reason)疲れたからです。

How it is used

Answer どうして or なぜ with 「〜からです」: 「どうして休みましたか。」「頭が痛かったからです。」

から is personal and direct. ので sounds softer and more objective, so it suits polite explanations.

Examples

Tap a kanji for its reading.

  • 暑いから、窓を開けましょう。It's hot, so let's open the window.
  • 時間がないから、タクシーで行きます。There's no time, so I'll take a taxi.
  • 明日は休みだから、ゆっくり寝ます。Tomorrow's a day off, so I'll sleep in.
  • 「どうして来なかったんですか。」「風邪をひいたからです。」"Why didn't you come?" "Because I caught a cold."

Practice: 8 JLPT questions using 〜から (because)

JOC-1724Grammar form
It was cold, so I closed the window.
JOC-2083Quick response
"What time does tomorrow's meeting start?" — "It starts at ten."
JOC-1983Text grammar
Today is my mother's birthday. After school I'm going to buy flowers. My mother likes red flowers, so I'll choose red ones.
JOC-1980Text grammar
I like Japanese food. I especially like sushi. But I don't make it at home, because I don't know how to make it.
JOC-1143Text grammar
It was cold, so I went out wearing a thick coat.
JOC-1982Text grammar
I am not good at Japanese yet. So I study a little every day. Next year I want to talk with Japanese people.
JOC-2385Text grammar
Recently fewer students use paper dictionaries. That's because looking things up on a smartphone is faster. True, for speed it can't compete. But a paper dictionary, where the neighbouring words catch your eye, has a different kind of value.
JOC-2227Long passage
A city library started a 'librarian for a day' scheme this year. Primary-school children experience library work for one day, during the summer holidays. The work includes returning books to the shelves and answering users' questions. Reshelving looks easy, but the books must go back in the correct number order, so it takes longer than expected. Children who took part said, 'I realised that books are easy to find because someone is organising them.' According to the library, teaching children about work is not the only aim. 'We want them to feel they can support the places they use themselves,' a staff member said. Q: What do the children say they understood? — Books are easy to find thanks to someone's work.

Often confused with

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