Japanese Result Connectives: Expressing 'Therefore', 'As a Result', and 'Consequently'
Learn to connect Japanese sentences to show results using だから, それで, そのため, したがって, and その結果, with natural examples and register guidance.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Japanese, showing that one event causes another is often done with connective words placed at the start of the result clause. Unlike English, Japanese does not require a comma or a semicolon before these words. The most common result connectives are だから (dakara), それで (sore de), そのため (sono tame), したがって (shitagatte), and その結果 (sono kekka). They differ in formality and nuance. だから is casual and direct, それで is neutral and often implies a natural consequence, そのため is slightly formal and often used in writing, したがって is formal and logical, and その結果 is neutral to formal and emphasizes the outcome. This lesson teaches you to use them accurately in conversation and writing. You will also learn to avoid confusing them with contrastive connectives like しかし (shikashi, 'however').
By the end, you can…
- use だから, それで, そのため, したがって, and その結果 to connect a cause to a result.
- choose the right result connective based on formality and context.
- distinguish result connectives from contrastive connectives like しかし.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
雨が降った。だから、家にいた。
It rained. Therefore, I stayed home.
Ame ga futta. Dakara, ie ni ita.
Casual spoken Japanese. だから is direct and common in everyday conversation.
電車が遅れた。それで、会議に遅刻した。
The train was delayed. As a result, I was late for the meeting.
Densha ga okureta. Sore de, kaigi ni chikoku shita.
Neutral and natural in both speech and writing. それで often implies a straightforward consequence.
台風が来た。そのため、学校は休校になった。
A typhoon came. Because of that, school was canceled.
Taifū ga kita. Sono tame, gakkō wa kyūkō ni natta.
Slightly formal. そのため is common in news and written reports.
データに誤りがあった。したがって、結論は無効である。
There was an error in the data. Consequently, the conclusion is invalid.
Dēta ni ayamari ga atta. Shitagatte, ketsuron wa mukō de aru.
Formal and logical. したがって is used in academic, legal, and business writing.
彼は毎日練習した。その結果、試合に勝った。
He practiced every day. As a result, he won the match.
Kare wa mainichi renshū shita. Sono kekka, shiai ni katta.
Neutral to formal. その結果 emphasizes the final outcome, often after a process.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: [Cause sentence]。 + [Result connective]、 + [Result sentence]。 The connective appears at the beginning of the second sentence. For example: 雨が降った。だから、家にいた。 (It rained. Therefore, I stayed home.) You can also use だから as a conjunction within a sentence: 雨が降ったから、家にいた。 Here から is a subordinate conjunction meaning 'because', not the same as だから. Note that だから is a conjunction, while から is a particle. Similarly, それで can be used as a conjunction: 電車が遅れた。それで、遅刻した。 Do not confuse それで with それでは (sore de wa), which means 'in that case' or 'well then'. そのため and したがって are more formal and often appear in written Japanese. その結果 is used to highlight a result after a longer process.
When to use it
Choose the connective based on register and nuance. In casual conversation, use だから or それで. Example: 疲れた。だから、もう寝る。 (I'm tired. So I'm going to bed now.) In neutral conversation or writing, それで and そのため are safe. Example: 道が混んでいた。そのため、遅れました。 (The road was crowded. Therefore, I was late.) In formal writing, use したがって or その結果. Example: 証拠が不十分である。したがって、起訴はできない。 (The evidence is insufficient. Therefore, we cannot indict.) Use その結果 when you want to emphasize the outcome of a series of events: 長い交渉の末、合意に達した。 (After long negotiations, we reached an agreement.) Avoid using だから in very formal writing; it can sound too casual. Also, do not use these connectives to express contrast; for contrast, use しかし (shikashi), でも (demo), or けれども (keredomo).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
昨日、財布をなくした。だから、今日は買い物に行けない。
I lost my wallet yesterday. Therefore, I can't go shopping today.Kinō, saifu o nakushita. Dakara, kyō wa kaimono ni ikenai.それは大変だね。それで、警察には届けたの？
That's tough. So, did you report it to the police?Sore wa taihen da ne. Sore de, keisatsu ni wa todoketa no?うん、届けた。そのため、今は新しいカードを待っている。
Yes, I reported it. Because of that, I'm now waiting for a new card.Un, todoketa. Sono tame, ima wa atarashii kādo o matte iru.なるほど。したがって、しばらくは現金で生活するしかないね。
I see. Consequently, you have no choice but to live on cash for a while.Naruhodo. Shitagatte, shibaraku wa genkin de seikatsu suru shika nai ne.A little context goes a long way
Japanese result connectives are sensitive to politeness and context. In business emails, したがって and そのため are preferred over だから, which can sound too casual. In spoken Japanese, だから is often used to assert one's opinion, and in some contexts it can sound pushy if overused. それで is softer and more neutral. When writing academic papers, use したがって or その結果. Also, note that Japanese often omits the subject, so the result clause may not explicitly state who is affected; context clarifies it.
One thing to watch for
Using だから in formal writing, such as a business report: 売上が下がった。だから、対策が必要だ。
Try this instead: In formal writing, replace だから with したがって or そのため: 売上が下がった。したがって、対策が必要だ。 (Sales have fallen. Therefore, countermeasures are necessary.) だから is acceptable in casual speech but can sound too informal in professional documents.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Choose the most appropriate result connective for a formal written sentence: データが不足している。______、結論を出すことはできない。
Show a sample answer
したがって
したがって is formal and logical, fitting a written context. そのため is also acceptable, but だから would be too casual.
2Rewrite the following casual sentence using a more neutral connective: 雨が降った。だから、試合は中止になった。
Show a sample answer
雨が降った。それで、試合は中止になった。
それで is neutral and natural in both speech and writing. そのため is also possible, but それで keeps the casual tone while being slightly more neutral than だから.
3What is the difference between だから and から in terms of grammar?
Show a sample answer
だから is a conjunction that starts a new sentence or clause, while から is a particle that attaches to the end of a clause to mean 'because'.
だから stands alone at the beginning of the result clause, e.g., 雨だ。だから、行かない。 から attaches to the cause clause, e.g., 雨だから、行かない。 Both express cause, but their grammatical roles differ.
Use だから for casual speech, それで for neutral, そのため for slightly formal, したがって for formal logic, and その結果 to emphasize outcomes. Always match the connective to the register of your conversation or writing.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Japanese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr