Lesson 154: からこそ・だけに・だけあって・ばかりに

N2 · Lesson 154 · 18 min — Four ways to stress a reason: precisely because, all the more because, no wonder, just because. One extra word at the neighborhood meeting.

Last lesson, Rin's petition made the newspaper. This lesson has four ways to stress a reason: からこそ (exactly this reason), だけに (all the more), だけあって (as you'd expect of), ばかりに (just because of one small thing, a bad result). Read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use からこそ for "precisely because ~, (that's why) ~": 外国人がいこくじんだからこそ 見みえる 日本にほん
• Use だけに for "because it is ~, all the more ~": 期待きたいして いた だけに、がっかりした
• Use だけあって / だけの ことは ある to praise: "as you'd expect of ~, no wonder ~"
• Use ばかりに for "just because ~, (bad result)", and tell it apart from おかげで and た ばかりだ

An Extra Word

Rin is in the paper, but a neighbor who wants the road widened is unhappy... (一言ひとこと = one word, おわび = apology)

からこそ・だけに = because; だけあって = as expected of; ばかりに = just because (bad result). Next lesson, Neko-sensei goes home to Kyoto for New Year...

Words for this lesson: reasons, opinions and apologies

• 〜からこそ (kara koso): precisely because ~, (that's why) ~
• 〜だけに (dake ni): because it is ~, all the more ~
• 〜だけあって (dake atte): as you'd expect of ~; no wonder ~
• 〜ばかりに (bakari ni): just because ~ (bad result)
• さすが (sasuga): as expected of; sure enough
• 外国人がいこくじん (gaikokujin): foreigner
• 一言ひとこと (hitokoto): one word
• 怒おこる (okoru): to get angry
• 期待きたい (kitai): expectation
• がっかり (gakkari): disappointment
• ぬれる (nureru): to get wet
• おわび (owabi): apology
• お菓子かし (okashi): sweets, snacks
• 空から (kara): empty (nothing inside a box or cup)
• 救急車きゅうきゅうしゃ (kyūkyūsha): ambulance
• 寝坊ねぼう (nebō): to oversleep

Grammar 1 / 4: からこそ

Plain form + からこそ = precisely because ~: it stresses "exactly this reason." 外国人がいこくじんだからこそ 見みえる 日本にほんが ある = There is a Japan that only a foreigner can see.

• Form: plain form + からこそ: Verbs and i-adjectives attach directly: 練習れんしゅうした からこそ、寒さむい からこそ. Nouns and na-adjectives need だ first: 外国人がいこくじんだからこそ、大切たいせつだからこそ.
• Meaning: precisely because ~: から is an ordinary reason. Add こそ (exactly), which you already know, and it becomes "exactly this reason."
• Often turns a "weak point" around: "Foreigner" sounds like a weakness, but Neko-sensei says: precisely because you're a foreigner, you can see it. It is often followed by んです／のだ, which sounds more convincing.
• Not for a plain bad result: After からこそ usually come an opinion, a decision or a meaningful conclusion. To say "because of one small thing, a bad result," use the 4th grammar point, ばかりに.

• 外国人がいこくじんだからこそ 見みえる 日本にほんが ある。 — There is a Japan that only a foreigner can see.
• 大切たいせつな 木きだからこそ、みんなで 守まもりたい。 — Precisely because it's an important tree, we want to protect it together.
• 毎日まいにち 練習れんしゅうした からこそ、上手じょうずに なったんです。 — It's precisely because I practiced every day that I got good.
• 忙いそがしい からこそ、休やすむ 時間じかんが 必要ひつようだ。 — Precisely because I'm busy, I need time to rest.
• 友ともだちだからこそ、本当ほんとうの ことを 言いうんです。 — It's precisely because we're friends that I tell the truth.

Grammar 2 / 4: だけに

N / なAな / plain form + だけに = because it is ~, all the more ~: the situation before it raises the degree of the result. 期待きたいして いた だけに、がっかりした = Because I'd expected a lot, I was even more disappointed.

• Form: N / なAな / plain form + だけに: Attach a noun directly (not Nの): 町まちだけに、年末ねんまつだけに. Add な to na-adjectives: 有名ゆうめいな だけに. Verbs and i-adjectives use the plain form: 期待きたいして いた だけに、古ふるい だけに.
• Meaning: because it is ~, all the more ~: The first situation makes the result "naturally even more ~." It works for good and bad results.
• Most common: high hopes, bigger disappointment: 期待きたいして いた だけに、がっかりした. The more care and hope you put in first, the deeper the disappointment or regret.
• Compare with からこそ: からこそ stresses "exactly this reason," often followed by your own opinion or decision (守まもりたい). だけに is "this situation → higher degree," often followed by a feeling or state (多おおい、がっかりした).

• 古ふるい 町まちだけに、思おもい出でも 多おおい。 — Because it's an old street, there are especially many memories.
• 年末ねんまつだけに、店みせは とても こんで いる。 — Because it's year-end, the shop is extra crowded.
• 期待きたいして いた だけに、がっかりした。 — Because I'd expected a lot, I was even more disappointed.
• 有名ゆうめいな 店みせだけに、いつも 人ひとが 多おおい。 — Because it's a famous shop, it's always full of people.
• 毎日まいにち 練習れんしゅうした だけに、負まけて 本当ほんとうに 残念ざんねんだ。 — Because I practiced every day, losing felt especially sad.

Grammar 3 / 4: だけあって

N / なAな / V plain + だけあって = as expected of ~, sure enough ~: the result matches the status or effort, with admiration. At a sentence end, say だけの ことは ある. 長ながく 続つづいて いる 店みせだけあって、いつも お客きゃくさんが 多おおい = As expected of a long-running shop, it always has many customers.

• Form: N / なAな / V plain + だけあって: Attach a noun directly (not Nの): 店みせだけあって. Add な to na-adjectives: 有名ゆうめいな だけあって. Verbs use the plain form: 練習れんしゅうした だけあって、続つづいて いる 店みせだけあって.
• Meaning: as expected of ~; no wonder ~: The result "matches" the status, effort or fame, and the speaker admires it. It often goes with さすが: さすが〜だけあって.
• At a sentence end: だけの ことは ある: State the result first, then add "as expected of ~": この 味あじ、さすが 長ながく 続つづいて いる 店みせだけの ことは ある.
• Only for praise; for the unexpected use にしては: "Famous but bad" is the opposite of what you'd expect, so use にしては, which you already know. Also, だけに works for good or bad, but だけあって is only for admiration and praise.

• 長ながく 続つづいて いる 店みせだけあって、いつも お客きゃくさんが 多おおい。 — As expected of an old shop, it always has many customers.
• さすが 観光かんこうの 学校がっこうの 学生がくせいだけあって、案内あんないが 上手じょうずだ。 — As expected of a tourism-school student, the guiding is great.
• 毎日まいにち 練習れんしゅうした だけあって、リンの 日本語にほんごは 上手じょうずだ。 — As expected of someone who practices every day, Rin's Japanese is good.
• 有名ゆうめいな 店みせだけあって、本当ほんとうに おいしい。 — As expected of a famous shop, it's really delicious.
• この 味あじ、さすが 長ながく 続つづいて いる 店みせだけの ことは ある。 — This taste is truly worthy of an old shop.

Grammar 4 / 4: ばかりに

Vた / Aい / なAな + ばかりに = just because ~, (bad result): a small cause leads to a bad result, with regret. 一言ひとこと 多おおかった ばかりに = All because I said one word too many.

• Form: Vた / Aい / なAな + ばかりに: The た-form is the most common: 忘わすれた ばかりに、多おおかった ばかりに. Add な to na-adjectives: 下手へたな ばかりに. For nouns, say Nである ばかりに (外国人がいこくじんである ばかりに), not Nの.
• Meaning: just because ~ (bad result): It stresses "only this one small cause" that led to a big bad result, with regret or frustration.
• Only for bad results: For a good result, use おかげで, which you already know: 早はやく 起おきた おかげで、間まに合あった.
• Don't mix it up with た ばかりだ: 来きた ばかりだ (sentence end) = just arrived (a short time ago). 来きた ばかりに、〜 (another clause follows) = just because I came, ~. Check whether ばかり has に and another clause after it.

• 一言ひとこと 多おおかった ばかりに、怒おこらせて しまった。 — Just because I said one word too many, I upset the other person.
• 傘かさを 忘わすれた ばかりに、ぬれて しまった。 — Just because I forgot my umbrella, I got wet.
• 寝坊ねぼうした ばかりに、バスに 乗のれなかった。 — Just because I overslept, I missed the bus.
• 字じが 下手へたな ばかりに、名前なまえを 読よんで もらえなかった。 — Just because the handwriting was so bad, nobody could read the name.
• 値段ねだんを 見みなかった ばかりに、高たかい 料理りょうりを 注文ちゅうもんして しまった。 — Just because I didn't check the price, I ordered a very expensive dish.