「〜が故に」- Expressing Cause and Reason

Explanation

「〜が故に」 (がゆえに) is a grammatical structure used to express cause and reason, meaning "due to" or "because of." This expression carries a formal and literary tone, often used in written language or formal spoken contexts.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb plain form + が故に	Verb plain form + が故に	Used to indicate the cause or reason for an action or state.
Adjective plain form + が故に	Adjective plain form + が故に	Used to indicate the cause or reason for a quality or state described by the adjective.
Noun + であるが故に	Noun + であるが故に	Used to indicate the cause or reason for something represented by the noun.
な-Adjective stem + であるが故に	な-Adjective stem + であるが故に	Used to indicate the cause or reason for a quality or state described by the な-adjective.

Basic Usage

「〜が故に」 is used to indicate that the preceding clause is the cause or reason for the following clause. It emphasizes a strong causal relationship and is often used to explain the root cause of a phenomenon or behavior.

Examples

• 彼かれはよくからかわれているが、それも彼かれの人柄ひとがらが故に。
• Kare wa yoku karakawareteiru ga, sore mo kare no hitogara ga yue ni.
• He is often teased, and that is because of his personality.
  

• 全国ぜんこくの商品しょうひんを電話でんわ一本いっぽんで自宅じたくまで届とどけてくれるサービスさーびすが、その手軽てがるさが故に多くおおく利用りようされている。
• Zenkoku no shouhin o denwa ippon de jitaku made todokete kureru saabisu ga, sono tegarusa ga yue ni ooku riyou sareteiru.
• The service that delivers products nationwide with just one phone call is widely used because of its convenience.
  

• 貧まずしさが故に犯おかした罪つみは多少たしょう同情どうじょうに値あたいするが、決けっして許ゆるされる行為こういではないことには間違まちがいない。
• Mazushisa ga yue ni okashita tsumi wa tashou doujou ni atai suru ga, kesshite yurusareru koui dewa nai koto ni wa machigai nai.
• The crimes committed due to poverty are somewhat worthy of sympathy, but they are by no means excusable.
  

Deep Dive

「〜が故に」 can be used not only in simple sentences but also in complex sentence structures:

• Quoting Literature
  • 『我思おもう、故ゆえに我在あり』
  • Ware omou, yue ni ware ari.
  • I think, therefore I am.
    
• High Specialization
  • この部署ぶしょは専門性せんもんせいが高たかすぎるが故に人員補充じんいんほじゅうが難むずかしい。
  • Kono busho wa senmonsei ga takasugiru ga yue ni jin'in hojuu ga muzukashii.
  • This department is too specialized, making it difficult to recruit personnel.
    

Comparison and Differences

「〜からこそ」

「〜からこそ」 is another grammatical structure used to express cause and reason, but it is typically used to emphasize positive or favorable reasons.

• 普段ふだんこういったことは言いわないけど、好すきな人ひとからこそ言いっておきたかった。
• Fudan kou iu koto wa iwanai kedo, suki na hito kara koso itte okitakatta.
• I don’t usually say things like this, but I wanted to say it precisely because it’s someone I like.
  

「〜ために」

「〜ために」 is a grammatical structure used to express cause and reason, but it is more neutral and can be used for both positive and negative reasons.

• 大雨おおあめために、試合しあいは中止ちゅうしされた。
• Ooame tame ni, shiai wa chuushi sareta.
• The match was canceled due to heavy rain.
  

Compared to 「〜ために」, 「〜が故に」 has a more formal and literary tone.

Real-Life Scenarios

• In academic papers or formal reports, 「〜が故に」 is used to explain research findings.
• In legal documents, it is used to state the reasons for applying certain regulations.

Summary

「〜が故に」 is a formal grammatical structure used to express cause and reason, suitable for various contexts where a causal relationship needs to be explained. By understanding its basic and advanced usage, as well as comparing it with similar grammar points, you can use this structure more effectively in Japanese.