から (kara) - Expressing Origins and Reasons

から connects ideas in your head and puts them into words. When you use it for origins, it points to the beginning. It says, "The action starts here." When used for reasons, the reason always comes first. Then comes the result or the action. This is a bit different from English. In English, we often say the result first. "I'm late because of the rain." In Japanese, the order is flipped. You say, "Rain, so I'm late." It feels like a logical flow. You set the stage first. Then you deliver the punchline. Think of it like a train track. The reason is the engine pulling the rest of the sentence. It is a very direct and clear way to speak.

1. 1Using から is mostly straightforward, but there are small traps to watch for.
2. 2For verbs, use the dictionary form: 食べるから (Because I eat).
3. 3For polite verbs, use the ます form: 食べますから (Because I eat).
4. 4For い adjectives, just add から: 寒いから (Because it is cold).
5. 5For nouns, you MUST add だ: 雨だから (Because it is rain).
6. 6For な adjectives, also add だ: 好きだから (Because I like it).
7. 7Don't forget that だ. It is the most common mistake for beginners. Think of だ as the glue. Without it, your sentence might fall apart. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, but you should aim for perfection!

Use から when you want to be clear and direct. It is great for personal reasons and opinions. Use it when ordering food at a restaurant. "I'm hungry, so I'll take this large ramen." Use it when giving directions to a taxi driver. "Go from this station to the hotel." Use it in job interviews to show passion. "I studied Japanese because I love the culture." It shows your personal motivation and drive. It feels honest and subjective. It is the "heart" particle for explaining your choices. It also works perfectly for time. "The party starts from 7 PM." It sets the boundary for your schedule.

Don't use から for objective facts in formal reports. If you are reporting the news, use ので instead. から can sound a bit too personal or subjective. Sometimes it can even sound like you are making an excuse. "I'm late because the bus was slow." If you want to be extra polite to a boss, be careful. In very formal settings, ので is often the safer, softer choice. Think of から like a grammar traffic light. It’s great for moving the conversation forward, but sometimes you need the caution of ので to avoid sounding pushy. Also, don't use it for "since" when describing a duration of time (use てから for that instead).

The biggest mistake is the "Noun + から" error. Many people say 休みから when they mean 休みだから. This sounds very strange to Japanese ears. It's like saying "From holiday" instead of "Because it's a holiday." Another mistake is the word order. Remember: Reason first, result second. If you flip them, people will be very confused. Also, try not to over-use it in a single sentence. One から is usually enough to get your point across. Using too many makes you sound like a rambling toddler. Keep it simple and your Japanese will sound much more natural.

You will often see から paired with まで. They are like bread and butter. から is the start, and まで is the end. "From Monday to Friday" is 月曜日から金曜日まで. Then there is the comparison with ので. ので is softer, more polite, and focuses on cause-and-effect. から is stronger, more personal, and focuses on the speaker's reasoning. Think of から as a bold marker pen. Think of ので as a soft watercolor brush. Both are useful, but they create different vibes in your speech. Choose から when you want your reason to be heard loud and clear.