Lesson 117: おかげで・せいで・ため

N3 · Lesson 117 · 18 min — Thanks to ~, blame on ~, due to ~: three feelings for giving a reason

Last lesson reviewed time and change. Rin is still waiting for a reply from はな. To give reasons, we already know から and ので. This lesson adds three phrases that depend on whether the result is good or bad: おかげで, せいで and ため. Comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use おかげで for 'thanks to ~' (good result, gratitude)
• Use せいで／せいだ for 'it's ~'s fault' (bad result, complaint)
• Use せいか for 'maybe because of ~'
• Read '〜の ため' on station notices = due to ~

After the Storm

Rin still waits for はな's reply. In September a typhoon stops the trains! (運休うんきゅう = suspended, 返事へんじ = reply, 住所じゅうしょ = address)

Good result: おかげで. Bad: せいで. Notices: ため. Next, Rin gives his Yanaka plan to the boss!

Words for this lesson: reasons and transport

• 〜おかげで (okage de): thanks to ~
• 〜せいで (sei de): because of ~ (blame), it's ~'s fault
• 〜せいか (sei ka): maybe because of ~
• 〜ため（に） (tame): due to ~, because of ~
• 台風たいふう (taifū): typhoon
• 運休うんきゅう (unkyū): service suspended (train, bus)
• アナウンス (anaunsu): announcement (at a station)
• 大雪おおゆき (ōyuki): heavy snow
• 遅おくれる (okureru): to be delayed; to be late
• 事故じこ (jiko): accident
• 工事こうじ (kōji): construction work
• 中止ちゅうし (chūshi): cancellation
• 出口でぐち (deguchi): exit
• ツアー (tsuā): tour, guided trip
• 案内あんないする (annai suru): guiding, guidance
• 成功せいこう (seikō): success
• 手伝てつだう (tetsudau): to help
• 返事へんじ (henji): reply
• 住所じゅうしょ (jūsho): address
• 動うごく (ugoku): to move
• 寝坊ねぼうする (nebō suru): oversleeping
• 熱ねつ (netsu): fever
• 薬くすり (kusuri): medicine
• 試験しけん (shiken): exam
• 合格ごうかくする (gōkaku suru): passing (an exam)
• 楽らく (raku): easy, comfortable
• 下さがる (sagaru): to go down; (fever) to drop

Grammar 1 / 3: おかげで

A おかげで B = Thanks to A, we got the good result B. The speaker feels grateful.

• A おかげで B = Thanks to A, B: A brought the good result B: 先生せんせいの おかげで、合格ごうかくしました。= Thanks to my teacher, I passed. In English: 'thanks to ~', 'luckily, because of ~'.
• Form: N の / plain form + おかげで: Noun: みんなの おかげで. Verb in plain form, often the た-form: 薬くすりを 飲のんだ おかげで. い-adjective: add directly: 駅えきが 近ちかい おかげで. な-adjective: add な: 静しずかな おかげで.
• At the end: 〜おかげだ／おかげです: To put the reason last: 成功せいこうしたのは、みんなの おかげです。= We succeeded thanks to everyone. For polite speech, use おかげです.
• Only for good results: おかげで carries a feeling of 'thank you', so the result must be good. If you use it for a bad result, it sounds sarcastic.

• 先生せんせいの おかげで、試験しけんに 合格ごうかくしました。 — Thanks to my teacher, I passed the exam.
• 薬くすりを 飲のんだ おかげで、熱ねつが 下さがった。 — Thanks to the medicine I took, my fever went down.
• 駅えきが 近ちかい おかげで、毎朝まいあさ 楽らくです。 — Thanks to the station being close, every morning is easy.
• くまたくんが 手伝てつだって くれた おかげで、ツアーが 成功せいこうした。 — Thanks to Kumata's help, the tour was a success.
• 成功せいこうしたのは、みんなの おかげです。 — We could succeed thanks to everyone.

Grammar 2 / 3: せいで・せいか

A せいで B = It's A's fault that the bad result B happened. If you are not sure of the cause, say A せいか (maybe because of A).

• A せいで B = Because of A, B: A brought the bad result B: 台風たいふうの せいで、電車でんしゃが 止とまった。= Because of the typhoon, the trains stopped. In English: 'it's ~'s fault', 'because of ~' with blame.
• Same form as おかげ: Noun + の: 事故じこの せいで. Verb plain form: 寝坊ねぼうした せいで. い-adjective: add directly: 寒さむい せいで. な-adjective: add な: 下手へたな せいで.
• At the end: 〜せいだ／せいです: 電車でんしゃが 遅おくれたのは、事故じこの せいです。= The trains are late because of an accident.
• せいか = maybe because of ~: When you are not sure, change で to か: 熱ねつの せいか、何なにも 食たべたく ない。= Maybe because of the fever, I don't want to eat anything. It can also go at the end: 住所じゅうしょの せいかな (Maybe it's the address?), 台風たいふうの せいかも しれません (Maybe it's the typhoon).
• Be careful when blaming people: 「〜さんの せいだ」 blames the other person directly. It sounds very strong. To admit your own mistake, you can say: わたしが 寝坊ねぼうした せいです。

• 台風たいふうの せいで、電車でんしゃが 止とまった。 — Because of the typhoon, the trains stopped.
• 寝坊ねぼうした せいで、学校がっこうに 遅おくれました。 — It's my fault for oversleeping. I was late for school.
• 電車でんしゃが 遅おくれたのは、事故じこの せいです。 — The trains are late because of an accident.
• 熱ねつの せいか、何なにも 食たべたく ない。 — Maybe because of my fever, I don't want to eat anything.
• 食たべすぎた せいで、おなかが 痛いたい。 — Because I ate too much, my stomach hurts.

Grammar 3 / 3: ため

A ため(に)、B = Due to A, B. It is formal wording for notices, announcements and news. It only states the reason, with no good or bad feeling.

• A ため(に)、B = Due to A, B: 台風たいふうの ため、運休うんきゅうです。= Due to the typhoon, service is suspended. It is like an English notice: 'Due to the typhoon, trains are suspended.'
• Form: N の / plain form + ため: Noun + の: 大雪おおゆきの ため. Verb plain form: 事故じこが あった ため. い-adjective: add directly: 寒さむい ため. な-adjective: add な: 静しずかな ため.
• Reason or purpose?: You may know ために 'in order to ~'. If what comes before it is an action you will do (dictionary form), it is purpose: 勉強べんきょうする ために. If what comes before it is a situation, a state or something that already happened (事故じこが あった, 寒さむい, 大雪おおゆき), it is a reason. Note that noun + の ため can be both: 大雪おおゆきの ため = due to heavy snow; 先生せんせいの ため = for the teacher. Use the context.
• When to use it: Notices, announcements, news, reports and formal explanations. When chatting with friends, use から and ので. ため would sound too stiff.

• 台風たいふうの ため、電車でんしゃは 運休うんきゅうです。 — Due to the typhoon, trains are suspended.
• 大雪おおゆきの ため、電車でんしゃが 遅おくれて います。 — Due to heavy snow, trains are delayed.
• 事故じこが あった ため、バスが 遅おくれました。 — Due to an accident, the bus was late.
• 工事こうじの ため、この 出口でぐちは 使つかえません。 — Due to construction, this exit cannot be used.
• 雨あめの ため、ツアーは 中止ちゅうしに なりました。 — Due to rain, the tour was cancelled.