N4 · Linking clauses
And what is more: 〜し〜し
listing reasons with し
し after a clause adds one reason to another — "and besides" — and leaves room for more.
At a glance
- Remember
- し stacks reasons — "and besides" — and one し hints at more.
- Form
- 安いしit is cheap, and besides
- Signal words
- 〜し、〜し
- 〜だし
- 〜ですし
- 〜も〜し
- Trap
- Wrong:この店は安いから、おいしいから、よく来ます。Right:この店は安いし、おいしいし、よく来ます。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| it is cheap, and besides | 安いし |
| it is quiet, and besides | 静かだし |
| it is raining, and besides | 雨だし |
| I have no time, and besides | 時間がないし |
| polite | 安いですし |
| cheap and good, so… | 安いし、おいしいし |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
し after a clause adds it as one reason among several.
この部屋は広いし、明るいし、気に入りました。This room is spacious and bright, so I like it.
A na-adjective or a noun takes だ before し.
今日は日曜日だし、天気もいいし、出かけよう。It is Sunday and the weather is nice, so let's go out.
し often argues for a conclusion, positive or negative.
駅から遠いし、家賃も高いし、ここはやめます。It is far from the station and the rent is high too, so I will not take this one.
A single し hints that there are other reasons.
もう遅いし、そろそろ帰ろう。It is late anyway, so let's head home.
Example sentences
彼女は頭もいいし、優しいし、みんなに好かれています。She is clever and kind, and everyone likes her.
雨だし、寒いし、今日は家にいよう。It is raining and cold, so let's stay in today.
この町は静かだし、緑も多いし、住みやすいです。This town is quiet and there is plenty of green, so it is a pleasant place to live.
熱もあるし、今日は休みます。I have a temperature too, so I am taking today off.
お金もないし、時間もないし、旅行は無理だ。I have no money and no time, so a trip is out of the question.
ここは料理もおいしいですし、値段も安いです。The food here is good, and the prices are low too.
7 more example sentences
仕事は面白いし、給料もいい。The work is interesting, and the pay is good too.
今日は疲れたし、早く寝よう。I am tired today, so I will go to bed early.
あの店は高いし、サービスも悪い。That shop is expensive, and the service is bad as well.
漢字は多いし、読み方も難しいし、大変です。There are lots of kanji and their readings are hard, so it is tough going.
子どももいるし、広い家がほしい。We have children too, so we want a bigger house.
彼は英語も話せるし、中国語も話せる。He can speak English, and Chinese as well.
明日は休みだし、映画でも見に行こうか。Tomorrow is a day off, so shall we go and see a film or something?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English stacks reasons with "because … and …", and learners repeat から. Two から in a row sound like two separate arguments that each claim to be the reason. し lists them as points that add up.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
し at the end of a clause lists it as one point among several, usually as reasons for what follows: この店は安いし、おいしいし、よく来ます, "this place is cheap, and the food is good, so I come here often". The final conclusion often comes with から or simply after the last し.
し follows the plain form of a verb or an i-adjective (行くし, 高いし), and a na-adjective or a noun with だ: 静かだし, 雨だし. In polite speech the polite form may stand before it — 安いですし — and that is common in conversation with people you do not know well.
The difference from the te-form is the stance. 安くて、おいしい simply describes; 安いし、おいしいし argues, piling up points in favour of something — or against it: 遠いし、高いし、行きたくない. A single し also works, and then it hints that there are other reasons the speaker has not mentioned: もう遅いし、帰ろう, "it's late anyway, so let's go home".
English lists reasons with "and" and puts "because" in front. Learners translate that as 安いから、おいしいから, which sounds like two separate arguments. し is the Japanese way of saying "for one thing… and for another…".
A closer look
も and し together
Lists with し very often carry も on the subject or object of each clause: 料理もおいしいし、店員も親切だし. も marks each item as "also", and し joins the clauses — together they make the "not only… but also…" feel of the pattern.
Because the pattern argues, the conclusion is often left out when it is obvious: だって、遠いし…, "well, it is far, and…". The listener supplies the rest, and the speaker has made a case without spelling out the decision.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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a polite form comes before し
安いですし, 行きますし are correct and common in polite conversation.
駅も近いですし、便利ですよ。It is close to the station too, so it is convenient.
Most joining endings take the plain form, but し, like が and から, is loose enough to follow a polite form when the whole conversation is polite.
Worth knowing (1)
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An excuse in one word
Asked why, a speaker may answer with a single clause and し and stop there. It sounds like a reason offered half reluctantly — "well, for one thing…".
「どうして行かないの？」「だって、雨だし。」"Why aren't you going?" "Well, it's raining, for one thing."
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