modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
わけだ — that means ~ / no wonder
わけだ
Meaning
- that means ~ / so that's why ~ / no wonder ~ — draws the natural conclusion that follows from given facts
Key sentence
彼は十年も日本に住んでいる。それで日本語が上手なわけだ。
He's lived in Japan for ten years. So that's why his Japanese is good.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| plain verb / i-adjective | V/A(plain) + わけだ | 着くわけだ / 寒いわけだ |
| na-adjective / noun | na-adj + な + わけだ; N + という + わけだ | 上手なわけだ / 休みというわけだ |
Examples
三時に出れば、五時には着くわけだ。
If we leave at three, that means we'll arrive by five.
道理で寒いわけだ。窓が開いていた。
No wonder it's cold — the window was open.
つまり、君は行きたくないわけだね。
In other words, you don't want to go, then.
When you can't use it
- わけだ presents a conclusion that follows naturally from facts already on the table — it does not introduce a brand-new reason out of nowhere. Use から／ので to give a fresh cause; use わけだ to say 'and so, it figures that ~.'
Easily confused with
See わけだ in real sentences
Jengo shows わけだ 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 Intermediate Japanese Grammar.