おかげで
🃏 Flashcard
おかげで
okage de
Tap to reveal usage
thanks to ...; owing to ...; because of ...
N3
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N3
Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast
Reading
okage de
Post ID
50908
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
thanks to ...; owing to ...; because of ...
📖 How to use it
Expresses gratitude or acknowledges a positive outcome caused by someone or something, meaning 'thanks to' or 'because of'.
Attaches to
Attach to the plain past tense of verbs, the plain present/future tense of adjectives, or nouns followed by の. For verbs, use the past tense form (e.g., 手伝ってもらったおかげで). For nouns and な-adjectives, use の (e.g., 先生のおかげで). For い-adjectives, attach directly (e.g., 安かったおかげで).
おかげで is used to say that something happened because of a positive cause, often with a feeling of gratitude. It attaches to the past tense of verbs, the plain form of adjectives, or nouns with の. The result is usually good for the speaker, but it can be used sarcastically for a negative result, though that is rarer and context-dependent.
It is common in both speech and writing, but in casual conversation, it often appears as おかげで with a smile or in set phrases like おかげさまで (thanks to you). When the cause is negative, use せいで instead to express blame or a bad outcome.
あなたが手伝ってくれたおかげで、早く終わりました。
Anata ga tetsudatte kureta okage de, hayaku owarimashita.
Thanks to your help, I finished early.
この薬のおかげで、頭痛が治りました。
Kono kusuri no okage de, zutsuu ga naorimashita.
Thanks to this medicine, my headache went away.
先生のおかげで、日本語が上手になりました。
Sensei no okage de, nihongo ga jouzu ni narimashita.
Thanks to my teacher, I got better at Japanese.
Not せいで
Use おかげで when the cause leads to a good result or when you are grateful. Use せいで when the cause leads to a bad result or is someone's fault. For example: 雨のおかげで涼しい (thanks to the rain, it's cool) vs. 雨のせいで遅れた (because of the rain, I was late).
Register
Neutral and used in both conversation and writing; in casual speech, it is common but often replaced by おかげさまで in polite set phrases.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
おかげで
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat おかげで three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using おかげで. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N3 Patterns
← Previous
を通じて /を通して
through; via; throughout; by
Next →
っぱなし
leaving (something) on / still in use
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern おかげで mean?
▼
Thanks to ...; owing to ...; because of ...
What JLPT level is おかげで?
▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use おかげで in a sentence?
▼
Attach おかげで (okage de) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is おかげで formal or casual Japanese?
▼
おかげで is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember おかげで long-term?
▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.