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Languages Study | Languages of the East | Japanese III
Grammar II - 13.02 Grammar L4 - 007 Menu - Grammar
し shi
 

To give the reason for something, we can use the conjunction .
 

reason から、situation.
どうしてパーティーに来ないんですか。 Why aren't you coming to the party?

doo-shite paatii-ni konai n desu ka?

  
あした試験があるから、
今日は勉強しなくちゃいけないんです。		 I have to study today, because there will be an exam tomorrow.
ashita shiken-ga aru kara,
kyoo-wa benkyoo shi-naku-cha ikenai n desu.		  
   
 

When you want to mention not just one, but two or more reasons, you can use し - shi in place of から - kara.

  し usually follows a predicate in the short form.
  reason し、reason し、situation.
日本語はおもしろいし、先生はいいし、
私は日本語の授業が大好きです。		 I really like my Japanese class, because Japanese language is interesting, and our teacher is good.

nihongo-wa omoshiroi shi, sensei-wa ii shi,
watashi-wa nihongo-no jugyoo-ga dai-suki desu.

  
   
家族から手紙が来たし、
かれと電話で話したし、
きのうはとてもいい日でした。 		Yesterday was a great day:
a letter came from my family,
and I talked with my boyfriend on the phone .

kazoku-kara tegami-ga kita shi,
kare-to denwa-de hanashita shi,
kinoo-wa totemo ii hi deshita.

  
   
国に帰りたいですか。  Do you want to go back home?
kuni-ni kaeritai desu ka?  
いいえ。日本の生活は楽しいし、
いい友達がいるし、
帰りたくありません。		  No. Life here in Japan is good,
and I have good friends here.
So I don't want to go back.

iie. nihon-no seikatsu-wa tanoshii shi,
ii tomodachi-ga iru shi,
kaeritaku arimasen.

  
   
 

You can use just one shi clause, implying that it is not the only reason for the situation.
物価が安いし、
この町の生活は楽です。		 Prices are low (cheap), etc,
so life in this town is enjoyable.
bukka-ga yasui shi,
kono machi-no seikatsu-wa raku desu.		  
   
  Sometimes the shi clauses follow the description of the situation explained.
山下先生はいい先生です。
教えるのが上手だし、親切だし。		 Yamashita sensei is a good teacher.
He's skilled in teaching, kind, etc.

yamashita sensei-wa ii sensei desu.
oshieru-no-ga joozu da shi, shinsetsu da shi,

  
   
 

In the very polite speech style, shi can also follow the long forms, just like another reading connective kara,
which may follow long forms (as we learned in Lesson 6) as well as short forms (see Lesson 9).
私は来年も日本語を勉強します。
日本が好きですし、
日本語はおもしろいですし。		 I will study Japanese next year, too.
I like Japan, and what is more,
the Japanese language is interesting.
watashi-wa, rainen-mo nihongo-o benkyoo shimasu.
nihon-ga suku desu shi,
nihongo-wa omoshiroi desu shi.		  
   
  Note that し follows the short forms. 
  In present tense sentences, this means that だ appears with な-adjectives and nouns, but not with い-adjectives.  
面白いし

interesting /and/
omoshiroi shi  
好きだし (I) love /be/ (it) /and/
suki da shi  
学生し student /and/
gakusei shi