connective N3 common casualpolitewritten
そのために — for that purpose / to that end
そのために
Meaning
- for that purpose / to that end — points back to a goal and introduces the action taken to reach it
Key sentence
医者になりたい。そのために、毎日勉強している。
I want to become a doctor. To that end, I study every day.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial connective | [Goal]. そのために、[action taken] | …たい。そのために、… |
Examples
来年留学する予定だ。そのために、お金を貯めている。
I plan to study abroad next year. For that purpose, I'm saving money.
チームを強くしたい。そのために、練習量を増やした。
I want to make the team stronger, so to that end we increased practice.
Easily confused with
そのため そのために (with に) means 'for that purpose,' linking to a goal you act toward. そのため (no に) means 'as a result,' linking a cause to its consequence. 〜ために ために links a purpose within one sentence (留学するためにお金を貯める). そのために is the sentence-opening version, pointing back to a goal stated in the previous sentence.
See そのために in real sentences
Jengo shows そのために the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.