connective N1 uncommon writtenliterary

故に — therefore / because of ~

故に ・ ゆえに

Meaning

① therefore (consequence): therefore / hence / consequently — drawing a conclusion (= だから)
② because of (cause): because of ~ / owing to ~ / on account of ~ (= のために)

Key sentence

① therefore (consequence)
I think, therefore I am.
② because of (cause)
Because of poverty, he gave up on going to college.

Formation

Attaches toFormExample
Sentence-initial (consequence) 故ゆえに + clause
Noun (+ の) / plain form + が (cause) N(の) + 故ゆえに、 plain + が故ゆえに 病気びょうき → 病気びょうき（の）故ゆえに

When: Written, formal, and academic — logical argument, philosophy, legal and formal prose.

Examples

① therefore (consequence)
The premise is wrong; therefore the conclusion is wrong too.
The evidence is sufficient; hence we find the defendant guilty.
② because of (cause)
It was a mistake born of youth.
Precisely because he is cautious, his decision came late.

Easily confused with

〜から から is the everyday 'because'. 故に is its stiff written equivalent, used in formal reasoning. ために ために gives a neutral cause ('owing to'); 故に does the same in a markedly formal, literary register.

See 故に in real sentences

Jengo shows 故に the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.

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