7.6 The Conjunction から (kara)
This module explains how the conjugation から (kara) is used to express causation or reasoning.
Introduction to the conjunction から
から (kara) is a conjunction in Japanese used to express causation, reasoning or justification. It is similar to the English words ‘because’, ‘so’ or ‘therefore’. This conjunction connects a reason or cause to its result or consequence, helping to explain why something happens or why a particular decision is made.
Usage in sentences
から is placed directly after the です form of an adjective and a noun, or the ます form of a verb (with appropriate particles), to indicate the reason or cause for an action or situation.
Affirmative: です + から
Example:
おいしいですから
Oishii desu kara
because it is tasty
いいですから
Ii desu kara
because it is good
Negative: じゃないです + から
学生（がくせい）じゃないですから
gakusei janai desu kara
because I am not a student
Affirmative: ます + から
Example:
勉強（べんきょう）しますから
benkyou shi masu kara
because I (will) study
Negative: ません + から
Example:
勉強（べんきょう）しませんから
benkyou shi masen kara
because I don’t/won’t study
There are two sentence structures you can use with から:
Structure 1
Result/Conclusion。Reason + から。
Example:
来年（らいねん）日本（にほん）に行（い）きます。日本の文化（ぶんか）が好（す）きですから。
Rainen Nihon ni iki masu. Nihon no bunka ga suki desu kara.
I will go to Japan next year. Because I like Japanese culture.
NOTE: This structure uses two separate sentences. You state the result or conclusion in the first sentence and then explain the reason in another sentence. Remember to use the Japanese full stops (。).
Structure 2
Reason + から、Result/Conclusion。
Example:
日本の文化が好きですから、来年日本に行きます。
Nihon no bunka ga suki desu kara, rainen Nihon ni iki masu.
Because I like Japanese culture, I will go to Japan next year.
NOTE: In this structure, the reason comes first, followed by the result or conclusion. The two clauses are connected by a comma (、).
Exercise 1
