ために
ために
expression
for the sake of; in order to; because of
1.
for the sake of; for the benefit of; in order to
Indicates a purpose or beneficiary. Attaches to nouns (with の) or to dictionary-form verbs to express the goal or reason for an action.
家族のためにがんばる。
I work hard for my family.
試験に合格するために勉強している。
I'm studying in order to pass the exam.
将来のためにお金を貯めている。
I'm saving money for the future.
2.
because of; due to; as a result of
Indicates a cause or reason, typically for an unintended or negative outcome. Often used with past-tense verbs.
雨のために試合が中止になった。
The match was cancelled because of the rain.
寝坊したために電車に乗り遅れた。
Because I overslept, I missed the train.
台風が近づいているために、多くの店が閉まっている。
Because a typhoon is approaching, many shops are closed.
The に form of the noun 為 (sake, benefit), grammaticalized as a connective. The purpose sense (1) is the most common; the cause sense (2) is more formal and often appears in written language.
GRAMMAR PATTERNS:
- Noun + のために: for the sake of (noun)
- Verb (dictionary form) + ために: in order to (verb)
- Verb (past) + ために: because (verb happened)
DISAMBIGUATION:
The purpose and cause senses are usually clear from context. With dictionary-form verbs, purpose is dominant; with past-tense verbs or stative expressions, cause is dominant.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ように: in order to — used with verbs the speaker does not directly control (potential, intransitive)
- ので / から: because — more conversational; ために sounds formal/written
- せいで: because of — implies blame for a negative outcome