から

kara

JLPT N5 #1 of 80 in N5 ★ Studied by 11 learners

Because; since; from

Kara marks a reason/cause (because) or a starting point in time/place (from).

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How to form it

For reason: attaches to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, and to nouns/な-adjectives followed by だ (e.g., だから). For source: attaches directly to nouns (time or place).

What it means

Kara has two main jobs at this level. One is to give a reason: you state the cause first, then the result. The clause before kara can end in a plain form (dictionary form, past form, or だ for nouns/な-adjectives). This is common in both speaking and writing. The second job is to mark a starting point in time or space, like 'from' in English. You just put kara after a noun, no other particle needed.

Example sentences

あめがふっていますから、うちにいます。

Ame ga futte imasu kara, uchi ni imasu.

It's raining, so I'm staying home.

9じからべんきょうします。

9-ji kara benkyou shimasu.

I will study from 9 o'clock.

Don’t confuse it with

ので

Kara states a reason more directly and can sound subjective; ので is softer and often used for objective reasons. At N5, kara is more common in conversation.

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話

When to use it

Neutral; used in both speaking and writing, polite and casual.

Next in the N5 path

2

か〜かor

3

ているongoing action or current state

4

のでbecause of; given that; since

5

は〜より・・・です[A] is more ~ than [B]

See the whole Grammar Path →

Questions

What does から mean?

Because; since; from. Kara marks a reason/cause (because) or a starting point in time/place (from).

How do you form から?

For reason: attaches to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, and to nouns/な-adjectives followed by だ (e.g., だから). For source: attaches directly to nouns (time or place).

Example of から in a sentence

あめがふっていますから、うちにいます。 — It's raining, so I'm staying home.

ので — what is the difference?

Kara states a reason more directly and can sound subjective; ので is softer and often used for objective reasons. At N5, kara is more common in conversation.

What JLPT level is から?

JLPT N5 (beginner), number 1 of 80 in Nihoner's learning order for N5.