By ProDev Teach | Last updated May 2025
📘 Meaning & Usage
The expression ～がゆえに is a formal and literary grammar structure that means “because of” or “due to”. It is often used in written language or speeches to indicate the cause or reason for something, typically when that cause leads to an unfortunate or inevitable outcome.
Structure:
[Verb/い-adj in plain form] + がゆえに[な-adj + な] + がゆえに[Noun + である] + がゆえに
Meaning: “Because of ~”, “Due to ~”, “On account of ~”
🧾 Used mostly in academic, literary, or highly formal contexts.
💡 Example Sentences
- 貧しさがゆえに、教育を受けることができなかった。
Because of poverty, he was unable to receive an education. - 正直であるがゆえに、損をすることもある。
Because he is honest, he sometimes suffers losses. - 外国人であるがゆえに、偏見を受けた。
Because he is a foreigner, he experienced prejudice. - 彼はその才能がゆえに、多くの嫉妬を受けた。
Because of his talent, he received much jealousy. - 過ちを犯したがゆえに、彼は信用を失った。
Because he made a mistake, he lost trust.
📝 Grammar Notes
- This is a very formal structure. In casual or conversational Japanese, you would use ～ので or ～から instead.
- Often appears in writing: essays, official documents, formal speeches.
- The expression emphasizes the unavoidable or regrettable nature of the consequence.
- ～がゆえに is similar to ～ゆえに, which is a slightly more literary variant.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks using ～がゆえに
- 彼は若さ＿＿＿＿、失敗を恐れなかった。
- 美しさ＿＿＿＿、彼女は多くのトラブルに巻き込まれた。
- 外国人＿＿＿＿、就職活動は難しかった。
✔ Answers:
- がゆえに
- がゆえに
- であるがゆえに
2. Translate into Japanese using ～がゆえに
- Because of his passion, he kept chasing his dream.
- Due to lack of experience, she made mistakes.
- Because they were foreigners, they faced many obstacles.
✔ Sample Answers:
- 情熱がゆえに、彼は夢を追い続けた。
- 経験不足がゆえに、彼女はミスをした。
- 外国人であるがゆえに、彼らは多くの困難に直面した。
📚 Related Grammar
- ～ために: Because of (used more generally, less formal)
- ～ことから: From the fact that ~
- ～によって: Due to (used with more objective causes)
🧠 Summary
- Meaning: Because of, Due to
- Structure: [Verb/Adj/Noun + がゆえに]
- Formality: Very formal / written
- JLPT Level: N1
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.
