Lesson 46: ねつが あるので、休みます
N5 · Lesson 46 · 18 min — Give a reason ("because...") and make a guess ("probably...")
In Lessons 44–45 you learned how to make the plain form. Now it pays off: plain form + ので means "because...", and plain form + でしょう／だろう means "probably...". Nouns and な-adjectives have one small trap, and we'll cover it soon. Let's read the comic first!
After this lesson, you can:
- Give a polite reason with ので: ねつが あるので、休みます。(I have a fever, so I'll take a day off.)
- Guess "probably..." with でしょう and read the weather forecast: あしたは 雨が 降るでしょう。
- Check with でしょう？ ("...right?"); understand だろう in inner thoughts and in friends' speech
Rin's Sick Day
The day after finishing diary #4, Rin catches a cold. In bed, he phones Neko-sensei to take a day off... (ねつ=fever; かぜ=cold; のど=throat; うん=yeah (casual はい); むり=overdo it; しない ほうが いい=better not to)
Reasons: ので. Guesses: でしょう. Inner thoughts: だろう. Next: Rin is better, and he's "planning" a solo trip!
This lesson's words: sickness and weather
- 風邪 (kaze): cold (illness)
- 熱 (netsu): fever; temperature
- のど (nodo): throat
- 痛い (itai): painful; hurts
- 休む (yasumu): to rest; to take a day off (from school or work)
- 寝る (neru): to sleep; to go to bed
- 無理 (muri): overdoing it; pushing yourself too hard
- おだいじに (odaiji ni): Take care (said to someone who is sick)
- うん (un): yeah; uh-huh (casual はい)
- たぶん (tabun): probably; maybe
- 薬 (kusuri): medicine
- 雨 (ame): rain
- 降る (furu): to fall (rain, snow)
- 晴れ (hare): sunny weather; clear skies
- 遅れる (okureru): to be late; to run late (trains)
Grammar 1 / 3: ので
Plain form + ので: gives a reason, "because..." (objective, a bit more polite)
- What is ので?: ので comes after the reason and means "because / since". Reason first, result second: ねつが あるので、休みます。 End the second half in です・ます as usual. You can also follow it with a request, which sounds very polite: ねつが あるので、休んでも いいですか。(I have a fever, so may I take the day off?)
- Verbs and い-adjectives: plain form, directly: ある＋ので、痛い＋ので、ない＋ので. The past tense uses plain form too: 飲んだので、遅れたので. Note: い-adjectives do not take な: 痛いので, not 痛いなので。
- な-adjectives and nouns: だ → な: The plain forms are 静かだ and かぜだ, but before ので, だ becomes な: 静かなので、かぜなので、日曜日なので。 きれい and 好き are な-adjectives too: きれいなので、好きなので。 Only the present-tense だ changes. In the past tense it stays: 静かだったので、かぜだったので (だった is kept).
- ので or から?: Both mean "because". から (Lesson 28) stresses "my own reason" and sounds natural with friends. ので sounds like you're explaining the situation objectively, so it's softer and more polite. When you call in sick to a teacher or explain something to shop staff, ので is the safest choice.
- ねつが あるので、休みます。 — I have a fever, so I'll take a day off.
- この へやは 静かなので、よく 勉強します。 — This room is quiet, so I often study here. (な-adjective + なので)
- きょうは 日曜日なので、学校は 休みです。 — Today is Sunday, so school is closed. (noun + なので)
- 薬を 飲んだので、すこし よく なりました。 — I took medicine, so I feel a bit better. (た-form + ので)
- でんしゃが 遅れたので、タクシーで 行きました。 — The train was late, so I took a taxi.
Grammar 2 / 3: でしょう
Plain form + でしょう: "probably..." (guess) or "...right?" (check)
- Use 1: guessing, "probably...": Use it when you're not sure, but you think it's likely. Japanese weather forecasts say it every day: あしたは 雨が 降るでしょう。 Add たぶん (probably) in front and the guess feels even clearer: たぶん 晴れでしょう。
- Attaching it: plain form + でしょう: Verbs: 降るでしょう、降らないでしょう、寝たでしょう。 い-adjectives: 寒いでしょう、寒かったでしょう。 Nouns and な-adjectives: drop だ and attach directly: かぜでしょう、静かでしょう。
- Use 2: checking, "...right?" (listen to the tone): Raise your voice at the end and it becomes "...right?", used when you expect the other person to agree. Kumata says: メロンパンが 好きでしょう？ (You like melon pan, right?) You also hear it when someone offers you a taste: これは おいしいでしょう？ Take the same sentence, かぜでしょう. With a falling voice ↘ it means "It's probably a cold" (guess). With a rising voice ↗ it means "It's a cold, right?" (check).
- How polite is it?: でしょう is the guessing version of です, so it's polite. Weather forecasts and shop staff use it. But saying just 「〜でしょう。」 to a teacher sounds like announcing an answer, and a rising でしょう？↗ can feel like you're quizzing them. To ask a teacher, add か: あしたは 雨でしょうか。 (Will it rain tomorrow?)
- あしたは 雨が 降るでしょう。 — It will probably rain tomorrow.
- あしたは 晴れでしょう。 — Tomorrow will probably be sunny. (noun, attached directly)
- よるの 京都は 静かでしょう。 — Kyoto at night is probably quiet. (な-adjective, attached directly)
- リンさんは もう 寝たでしょう。 — Rin has probably fallen asleep already. (た-form + でしょう)
- これは おいしいでしょう？ — This is tasty, right? ↗
Grammar 3 / 3: だろう
Plain form + だろう: the casual version of でしょう (self-talk, thoughts)
- だろう = the casual form of でしょう: Just as だ is the casual form of です, だろう is the casual form of でしょう. The meaning doesn't change: あしたは 雨が 降るだろう。 (It will probably rain tomorrow.)
- Attaches the same way as でしょう: Verbs and い-adjectives use plain form: あるだろう、高いだろう、むずかしかっただろう。 Nouns and な-adjectives take no だ: 雨だろう、静かだろう。
- When do you use it?: Most often in self-talk and thoughts: Neko-sensei sees Rin asleep and thinks 「リンさんは 食べないだろう」. Older people speaking to younger ones, and men talking with close friends, also use it. For example, Grandpa, worried about Rin, says 「ねつが あるだろう」 (You must have a fever). But だろう sounds masculine and rather hard, so women rarely say it directly to someone.
- Don't say it to teachers, shop staff or elders: だろう is casual and rather hard, so saying it straight to a teacher, shop staff or elders is rude. To a teacher, use でしょう, and when you want to ask, use でしょうか。 With family you can speak casually, but you probably wouldn't say だろう to your grandpa either.
- ねつが あるだろう。 — You must have a fever. (Grandpa, worried about Rin)
- あしたは 雨が 降るだろう。 — It will probably rain tomorrow. (to oneself)
- リンさんは メロンパンを 食べないだろう。 — Rin probably won't eat the melon pan. (Neko-sensei's thought)
- きのうの テストは むずかしかっただろう。 — Yesterday's exam was probably hard. (thinking, seeing a downcast friend)
- あの みせは 高いだろう。 — That shop is probably expensive.