It is important for Japanese learners to master the following sentence constructions at the midpoint between beginners and intermediate levels.
<1> [Subordinate Clause] + [Conjunctive Particle], [Main Clause].
Today’s expression does not use a “conjunctive particle”, but use a formal noun “tame”.
<2> [Subordinate Clause] + tame + ni, [Main Clause].
“-tame+ni,” is not a conjunctive particle, but in a macro perspective, “-tame+ni,” works like a conjunctive particle to connect a subordinate clause and a main clause. And there is a relation that a subordinate clause mentions a purpose, and the main clause mentions what the speaker is doing or going to do for that purpose.
When the subordinate clause can be expressed with a noun, the following sentence is also used.
<3> [Noun] + no +tame + ni, [Main Clause].
(1) [V-dic] + tame + ni, [Main Clause].
1. Kuruma o Kau tame ni, Okane o Tamete imasu.
(In order to buy a car, I am saving money.)
Tameru/Tamemasu : transitive verb, Group2 ; save, keep something to accumulate to make it a certain amount
If it is “Tamemasu”, it would be a will for the future. “Tamete imasu” is “[V-te]+iru” that indicates the action “save” is ongoing and continuous.
2. Nihon de Kaisha o Tsukuru tame ni, Keiei-Biza o Tori masu.
(In order to start a company, I am going to obtain a business management visa.)
You see the connections “Kau+tame” and “Tsukuru+tame” in the above 1 and 2. Since the formal noun “tame” is a noun, a verb in dictionary form can be placed in front of “tame”. The exercise A1 of the section 42 in Minna no Nihongo doesn’t show other connections between a verb and “tame”. If such connections were there,
3. Kaze o Hikanai tame ni, Yobou-Chuusha o Uke masu.
(In order not to catch a cold, I am going to get a flu shot.)
This is an example of a connection between a verb in Nai-form and “tame”.
4. Sensei no Hon o Nakushita tame ni, Atarashii hon o Kai masu.
(Since I lost my teacher’s book, I am going to buy a new one.)
This is an example of a connection between a verb in Ta-form and “tame”.
5. Benkyou-shinakatta tame ni, Shiken ni Ochi mashita.
(Since I hadn’t studied well, I failed the exam.)
This is an example of a connection between “V-nakatta” and “tame”.
Taking a look at 4 and 5, we could see a combination of verbs in past tense and “tameni” doesn’t explain a purpose, but rather, it expresses a cause of the action in the main clause. Therefore, “[V-ta]tameni” and “[V-nakatta]tameni” are thought to be a little different kind.
As for a combination of a Nai-form and “tameni” like the sentence 3, it might have been good to be introduced in A1, but probably it doesn’t have much necessity comparing to “[V-dic]+tameni”. Learning “[V-dic]+tameni” well is the major purpose of the exercise A1 of the section 42.
(2) [Noun] + no + tame + ni, [Main Clause].
Sometimes a verb phrase in a subordinate clause with “-tameni,” can be expressed by a noun. It can be a shortened and concise sentence as below;
6. Sotsugyou-go no tame ni, Isshoukemmei Benkyou Shi masu.
(For the after-the-graduation, I study hard.)
“Sotsugyou-go” is a compound word with “卒業(graduation)” and “後(after)”, which is a noun. Since “tame” is a formal noun, the connection between “Sotsugyou-go” and “tame” uses “no” as you learned “N1 no N2”. When you want to say your thinking as the sentence 6, would you say like follows?
7. Sotsugyou-shita ato mo Yoi Seikatsu o Okuru tame ni, Isshoukenmei Benkyou Shi masu.
(In order to live a good life even after my graduation, I study hard.)
Probably you would choose the sentence 6 rather than 7 because the 6 is short with less words.
8. Jiko no tame ni, Densha ga Tomatte imasu.
(For the accident, trains are stopped.)
As you saw in the examples of “[V-ta]+tameni” and “[V-nakatta]+tameni”, “tameni” has a function not only to express a purpose, but also a cause. In this sentence, “Jiko no tameni” expresses a cause of halting operation of trains. The sentences 1, 2, and 6 are expressing positive purposes. And basically, it is better to learn a second language through sentences having positive meanings. But “Jiko” is an accident which is usually implying a bad thing had happened. I think it is also necessary to learn a sentence having a negative meaning. There are a lot of things that I don’t know, I can’t do, and I don’t want in this world.
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This post was written with reference to the exercise A1 on Section42 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
