Grammar › Purpose & Perspective
〜ため(に) — “in order to” / “because of”
A deliberate goal, or a stated cause: お金を貯めるために働く — work in order to save money
Dictionary form/noun + の + ために states a deliberate purpose someone is actively working toward — the volitional counterpart to ように. The same ため(に) also doubles as a slightly formal “because of,” with the meaning decided by context.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form + ために (purpose) | お金を貯めるために、働いている — working in order to save money |
| Noun + の + ため(に) (cause) | 台風のため、電車が止まった — trains stopped because of the typhoon |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 家を買うために、お金を貯めています。 | いえをかうために、おかねをためています。 iewokautameni、okanewotameteimasu。 | I'm saving money in order to buy a house. |
| 台風のため、学校が休みになった。 | たいふうのため、がっこうがやすみになった。 taifuunotame、gakkougayasumininatta。 | School was cancelled because of the typhoon. |
| 健康のために、毎朝走っています。 | けんこうのために、まいあさはしっています。 kenkounotameni、maiasahashitteimasu。 | I run every morning for the sake of my health. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
The purpose meaning needs a volitional verb the speaker actively controls — for a passive goal like “so I won't forget,” ように is correct, and ために in that slot sounds subtly off.