Lesson 22
Conjunctions & Written Style
- 1 だから・そのため・したがって dakara / sono tame / shitagatte therefore Cause first, result next — four levels of "therefore".
- 2 すると・そこで suru to / soko de and then / so (I did) "And then what happened" vs "so what I did" — two ways to link events.
- 3 つまり・すなわち tsumari / sunawachi in other words The same thing in other words — to explain, to sum up, to conclude.
- 4 なぜなら〜からだ nazenara ~kara da because (the reason is) Claim first, then "the reason is…" — how essays give reasons.
- 5 さらに・しかも・その上 sarani / shikamo / sono ue moreover Having said one thing, piling another on top — "and not only that".
- 6 また・または・それとも mata / matawa / soretomo also / or / or (question) "Also", plus two kinds of "or" — one for statements, one for questions.
- 7 だけど・だが・ところが dakedo / daga / tokoroga but / however Levels of "but" — and the "but, to my surprise" when expectation flips.
- 8 ところで tokorode by the way The signal that the topic is changing — "anyway, so…"
- 9 〜である ~de aru formal written copula The written sibling of だ／です — the "is" of reports, essays and news.
- 10 〜ずに ~zu ni without doing The written form of N4's 「〜ないで」— with one exception to remember.
Lesson check
All 10 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「ボタンを押した。＿、ドアが開いた。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The door opened by itself — not something I chose to do.
すると = and then this happened. そこで is followed by something you chose to do, not a door opening.
「大雪で電車が止まった。＿、多くの人が会社に遅れた。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Cause first, result after.
そのため = for that reason (cause → result). ところが is for a surprise, and なぜなら introduces a reason, not a result.
「天気予報では一日中晴れると言っていた。＿、午後から急に大雨になった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Expected one thing, got another.
ところが = but, unexpectedly. しかも adds, そのため gives a result, and ところで changes the topic.
「母の兄、＿私のおじは、東京に住んでいる。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Both are the same person.
つまり = in other words — the same thing said another way. それとも is only for questions, and だが for contrast.
「私は毎日日本語を勉強している。＿、日本で働きたいからだ。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The sentence ends in 〜からだ.
なぜなら〜からだ = because (claim first, reason after). だから is followed by a result, not a reason.
「この店は値段が安い。＿、店員もとても親切だ。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:One good point, then another.
しかも = and on top of that — adding a point in the same direction. ところが signals a reversal, and there isn't one here.
「何も勉強＿、試験を受けてしまった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:する is the exception here.
Vない-stem + ずに = without doing (the written ないで); する alone becomes せずに — there is no しずに. 何も needs a negative, so したまま and しても don't fit.
「外国人が日本で働くとき、日本語はとても重要＿。」 (a sentence in a report) — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The "is" of reports — what drops after a な-adjective?
な-adjective + である = the written "is" (drop だ, and no な). なである is a wrong attachment; であり links clauses rather than ending a sentence; でいる means "stay in a state" (元気でいる) and doesn't go with 重要.
Your score: /8