Lesson 40
Base 3 + node
Back in Lesson 29 we met kara, which is used to show reasons or causes. In this lesson we will take a look at node, which is used for pretty much the same thing in pretty much the same way:
- Kyaku ga kuru node watashi wa ima deru koto ga dekimasen. (A guest is coming so I can't go out now.)
- Ashita hayaku okiru node hayaku neru. (I have to get up early tomorrow so I'm going to bed early.)
-
Eiko wa eigo o hanasu koto ga dekiru node ii shigoto o mitsukeru deshou. (Since Eiko can speak English, she'll probably find a good job.)
So, what's the difference between node and kara? Good question. Generally speaking, node simply states a fact while kara emphasizes the reason. From native speakers I have heard that node sounds "softer" and more polite, and is therefore preferred when people are involved. For example, in the first example sentence above a person (the guest) is concerned, and using node tells the listener(s) that there is respect and no displeasure regarding the visit. If kara was used instead, it could imply that the speaker would like to go out but can't because of an expected guest.
When talking about simple reasons for doing things, kara is usually used, as in:
- Jisho ga nai kara kaimasu. (I'm going to buy a dictionary because I don't have one.)
- Ashita ame ga furu kara ikimasen. (It's going to rain tomorrow so I'm not going.)
However, please remember that there's nothing grammatically wrong with using node here instead. It just depends on what you want to emphasize and the "feeling" you want to convey.
Word Check
kyaku: guest; customer
ima: now
deru: go out; come out
ashita: tomorrow
neru: to go to bed; to sleep
eigo: the English language
hanasu: to speak
ii: good
shigoto: job
mitsukeru: to find
ame: rain
(Verbs are shown in their plain form.)
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