Reasons and excuses: 〜ので, 〜のに, 〜けど and 〜し

Trains in Japan are punctual, but they do stop sometimes — because of an accident, a signal problem, heavy rain or snow. When that happens on your way to work, you need to call and explain. In this lesson you learn the polite way to give reasons (〜ので), how to say “although” (〜のに), how to soften a sentence (〜けど, 〜が) and how to give several reasons at once (〜し).

Polite reasons: 〜ので

Plain form + ので gives a reason: 電車が止まったので、遅おくれます — “The train has stopped, so I’ll be late.” After a noun or a な-adjective, use なので: 雨なので, ひまなので. ので means the same as から (N5 lesson 16), but it sounds softer and more objective — the right choice for excuses and requests to a manager.

Point	〜から	〜ので
Feel	direct, personal	softer, more objective
Verb	止まったから	止まったので
い-adjective	悪いから	悪いので
Noun / な-adj.	雨だから	雨なので
Good for	friends, your own opinion	managers, customers, excuses

In very polite speech you will also hear the polite form before ので: 電車が止まりましたので. Recognise it; the plain form is always correct.

Although: 〜のに

Plain form + のに means “although, even though”: the result is not what you expected, and the speaker often sounds disappointed or surprised. 急いだのに、間まに合あいませんでした — “Although I hurried, I didn’t make it.” 日曜日なのに、仕事です — “It’s Sunday, but I have to work.” After a noun or a な-adjective, use なのに.

Don’t use のに for your own excuse to a manager. 電車が止まったのに… sounds like a complaint. For reasons, use ので.

But, and softening: 〜けど and 〜が

けど (casual) and が (polite) join two ideas that contrast: この店は高いですが、おいしいです. They also soften the start of a request or a question, often after 〜んです (lesson 5): すみません、用事があるんですが、早はやく帰ってもいいですか. Very often the request is left unsaid: あのう、ちょっと具合ぐあいが悪いんですけど… — the listener understands.

Several reasons: 〜し、〜し

Plain form + し lists reasons and suggests there are more: この道は暗くらいし、車も多おおいし、夜は歩かないほうがいいです — “This road is dark, there’s a lot of traffic, (and so on,) so you’d better not walk here at night.” も often appears with し. One し is enough when the other reasons are obvious: 具合ぐあいも悪いし、きょうは休みます.

When the train stops

You may hear or read	Meaning
電車が止まっています	the trains have stopped
運転うんてんを見合みあわせています	services are suspended (formal)
信号しんごうの故障こしょうのため	because of a signal failure
大雨おおあめのため	because of heavy rain
運転再開うんてんさいかい	services restarting
遅延証明書ちえんしょうめいしょ	delay certificate (proof that your train was late)

Many railways hand out a delay certificate at the station or let you print one from their website. Some workplaces ask for it, so ask on your first day what to do when the train is late.

Calling work

An original example — a call to the leader before an early shift:

グエン：おはようございます、グエンです。すみません、電車が止まったので、三十分ぐらい遅おくれます。
リーダー：分かりました。気をつけて来てください。
グエン：はい。駅で遅延証明書ちえんしょうめいしょをもらってから行きます。本当とうにすみません。

Nguyen: Good morning, it’s Nguyen. I’m sorry, the train has stopped, so I’ll be about thirty minutes late. Leader: All right. Come carefully. Nguyen: Yes. I’ll get a delay certificate at the station and then come. I’m really sorry.

And asking for a day off a week before:

グエン：すみません、来週の金曜日、市役所しやくしょに行く用事があるので、休んでもいいでしょうか。
リーダー：金曜日ですね。いいですよ。でも、あまり人がいないので、午後だけ来られますか。
グエン：はい、午後は来られます。

Nguyen: Excuse me, next Friday I have to go to the city office, so may I take the day off? Leader: Friday, OK. That’s fine. But we won’t have many people, so can you come just in the afternoon? Nguyen: Yes, I can come in the afternoon.

New kanji: 用, 悪, 止, 通, 道

用 (use; business) is in 用事 (ようじ, something you have to do) and 用意 (ようい, preparation). 悪 is 悪い (わるい, bad). 止 is 止まる (とまる, to stop) and 止める (とめる, to stop something; to park); 中止 (ちゅうし) means cancelled. 通 is 通る (とおる, to pass), 通う (かよう, to commute; to attend) and 通勤きん (つうきん, commuting). 道 (みち) is a road or way; 歩道 (ほどう) is the pavement.

Common mistakes

• No な after a noun: 雨ので ✗ → 雨なので ✓.
• だ before ので: 雨だので ✗ → 雨なので ✓.
• Using のに for a reason: 電車が止まったのに、遅おくれます ✗ → 止まったので ✓.
• Using から for an excuse to a manager: it is not wrong, but ので sounds more polite.
• Mixing up 止まる (the train stops) and 止める (you stop or park something): ここに車を止めないでください.

How to practise

• Write what you would say on the phone if your train stopped this morning, with 〜ので.
• Write two sentences with 〜のに about something that surprised you in Japan.
• Write 用, 悪, 止, 通 and 道 on the worksheet and do the fill-in exercises.