connective N3 essential casualpolitewritten
ために — in order to (purpose)
ために
Meaning
- in order to ~ / so as to ~ — a purpose, carried out by a volitional, controllable action
Key sentence
留学するために、お金を貯めている。
I'm saving money in order to study abroad.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | V-る + ために | 合格するために |
| Noun (for the sake of) → see のために | N + のために | 家族のために |
Examples
健康を保つために、毎朝走っている。
I run every morning in order to stay healthy.
家を買うために、貯金を始めた。
I started saving in order to buy a house.
彼に会うために、東京まで行った。
I went all the way to Tokyo in order to meet him.
When you can't use it
- ために takes a volitional, controllable verb — one the subject chooses to do. For a result you can't directly will (a potential or a negative outcome), use ように: ×日本語が話せるために → ○話せるように.
Easily confused with
See ために in real sentences
Jengo shows 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 with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.