ため
ため
noun
for, sake, purpose; because
1.
for (the sake of), for the purpose of
Indicates the purpose, benefit, or goal of an action.
2.
because of, due to
Indicates the reason or cause of something.
Because the train was delayed, I ended up being late to the meeting.
Cause/reason usage
ため is a grammatical noun with two core meanings: purpose ("for / in order to") and cause ("because of"). The kanji 為 exists but hiragana is standard.
GRAMMAR PATTERNS:
1. Purpose: Noun + のために / Verb dictionary form + ために
2. Cause: Noun + のために / Verb plain past + ために
DISTINGUISHING PURPOSE VS. CAUSE:
Context usually makes the meaning clear. With past-tense verbs, ために almost always indicates cause: 遅れたために (because [someone] was late). With dictionary-form verbs, it indicates purpose: 勉強するために (in order to study).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 健康のために: for one's health
- 家族のために: for one's family
- ～のためになる: to be beneficial for ~
- ～ためにならない: to not be good for ~
REGISTER:
ために is slightly formal. In casual speech, から or ので are more common for expressing cause.