Guide – Particle 「ので」

The ので grammar particle is used to indicate a reason or cause-and-effect relationship between two clauses in Japanese. It can be translated as “because” or “due to” in English. The particle is a combination of the possessive particle の and the particle で, which indicates the means or method by which something is done.

The ので particle is often used in situations where the speaker wants to explain the reason for something or to give an excuse for a particular action or behavior. Here are some examples:

明日はテストがあるので、今晩は勉強します。 (Ashita wa tesuto ga aru node, konban wa benkyou shimasu.)
I have a test tomorrow, so I will study tonight.

雨が降っているので、外に出かけられません。 (Ame ga futte iru node, soto ni dekakeraremasen.)
It’s raining, so I can’t go out.

彼女は風邪をひいたので、今日は休みます。 (Kanojo wa kaze wo hiita node, kyou wa yasumimasu.)
She caught a cold, so she’s taking the day off.

車が壊れたので、会社に遅れてしまいました。 (Kuruma ga kowareta node, kaisha ni okurete shimaimashita.)
My car broke down, so I was late for work.

お金がないので、レストランに行けません。 (Okane ga nai node, resutoran ni ikemasen.)
I can’t go to a restaurant because I don’t have any money.

Unlike the conjunction が, which can also be used to express cause and effect, the ので particle implies a stronger causal relationship between the two clauses.

Overall, the ので particle is a useful tool for expressing causal relationships in Japanese, and it’s important to understand its usage to convey meaning accurately in conversations and written communication.

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