N5 — outside your level filter
んです
んですn desuN5neutral
Same meaning13
because; the reason is
- ばかりにall because — one small thing cost far more than it shouldattaches at
- だってcasual reason-opener ('cause, X); casual "even N"attaches at
- からこそprecisely because — this reason and no other made it happenattaches at
- からbecause; so — the speaker's own reasonattaches at
- ことだからknowing X as we do — a prediction from someone's known characterattaches at
- ものだからbecause — offered as an excuse the speaker could not helpattaches at
- もの'cause; but I — a reason fired back at the listenerattaches at
- なくてnot… and; because (one) doesn'tattaches at
- なぜならthe reason is; because — opens a new sentence explaining the last oneattaches at
- につきowing to N; per N (formal, written)attaches at
- のでbecause; since — reason as circumstanceattaches at
- せいかperhaps because; maybe it's because — the cause offered only as a guessattaches at
- しand what's more — listing reasonsattaches at
All examples4
answers a "why" — asked out loud or left unsaid
遅れてすみません。電車が止まっていたんです。
okurete sumimasen. densha ga tomatte ita n desu.
Sorry I'm late — the trains had stopped, you see. neutral
ごめん、今日は行けない。熱があるんだ。
gomen, kyou wa ikenai. netsu ga aru n da.
Sorry, I can't make it today. I've got a fever. casual
asks for the story behind something you noticed
その荷物、どうしたんですか。
sono nimotsu, dou shita n desu ka.
What's the story with all that luggage? neutral
あれ、まだ帰らないの?
are, mada kaeranai no?
Huh, you're not going home yet? casual
How it's formed3
All forms6
のnocolloquial
味わうの
です/だ drops — rising in pitch it's a soft question (まだ帰らないの?), falling it's said gently; after a noun or な-adjective, add な (休みなの?).
のですnodesuformal
味わうのです
the uncontracted form — written language and careful formal speech
んだndacolloquial
味わうんだ
plain-style counterpart. 〜の? as a question works for anyone, but ending a sentence with 〜の。 sounds soft or feminine
のだnodaformal
味わうのだ
uncontracted and plain — the shape written narrative and lecture prose use where speech says んだ (それは辛いソースだったのだ).
のではないnodehanaialternant
味わうのではない
denies the explanation itself, not the event — そういう意味で言ったのではない "that isn't what I meant by it". Speech contracts it to んじゃない.
- questionんですかndesuka
味わうんですか