What does “nazenara” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “nazenara” to mean ‘because’, ‘since’, or ‘as’ in Japanese. So, they use it to give the reason for something. The concept is very clear and simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand how to use “nazenara” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “nazenara”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “nazenara”.
- nazenara – なぜなら : a conjunction meaning ‘because’, ‘since’, or ‘as’ in Japanese.
Native speakers use this conjunction normally at the beginning of a sentence to give the reason for something. So, its usage is very similar to those of the English conjunctions above. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “because” in Japanese
nazenara boku wa mada wakai kara desu – なぜなら僕はまだ若いからです (なぜならぼくはまだわかいからです)
Because I’m still young.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- mada – まだ : an adverb meaning ‘still’ or such in Japanese.
- wakai – 若い (わかい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘young’ in Japanese.
- kara – から : a case particle used to give the reason for something. “Nazenara” often works together with this case particle in a sentence which states the reason for something.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used mainly after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “wakai kara” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “nazenara”. In this example, it works at the beginning of the sentence to give the reason.
Example #2: another usage of “nazenara”
nazenara kanojo mo mada chiisai node – なぜなら彼女もまだ小さいので (なぜならかのじょもまだちいさいので)
Since she is still young, too.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- mo – も : a binding particle working as a case marker with adding the meaning of ‘also’, ‘as well’, or ‘too’. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.
- chiisai – 小さい (ちいさい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘small’ in Japanese. This can also mean ‘young’ in Japanese depending on the situation and context.
- node – ので : a conjunctive particle used to give the reason for something. “Nazenara” often works together with this particle in a sentence which states the reason for something.
This is another typical usage of “nazenara”. Again, it works at the beginning of the sentence to give the reason. When we want to say “because”, “since”, or “as” in Japanese to give a reason, using this conjunction at the beginning of a sentence is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explain the definition and meanings of “nazenara” and how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- nazenara – なぜなら : a conjunction meaning ‘because’, ‘since’, or ‘as’ in Japanese. Native speakers use this conjunction normally at the beginning of a sentence to give the reason for something. So, its usage is very similar to those of the English conjunctions.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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