せいでsei de“because of; due to”

せいで means because of; due to. It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to blame a cause for a negative result.

This grammar point often appears in neutral Japanese. If you want to blame a cause for a negative result, せいで is a useful pattern to learn.

What does せいで mean?

Use せいで when you want to blame a cause for a negative result.

Natural translations include:

• because of; due to
• because of
• because of / due to

How to form せいで

Nounの / plain form + せいで

Examples of the pattern:

• 雨のせいで
• 寝坊したせいで
• 忙しいせいで

When is せいで used?

Use せいで in situations like:

• explaining negative results
• blaming reasons
• complaints or regret

Tone and register:

• neutral
• Common in JLPT reading, grammar questions, and natural Japanese sentences

せいで example sentences

• 雨のせいで、試合が中止になった。 — Because of the rain, the game was canceled.
• 寝坊したせいで、電車に乗り遅れた。 — Because I overslept, I missed the train.
• 忙しいせいで、友達に会えない。 — Because I am busy, I cannot meet my friends.
• 彼のせいで、計画が台無しになった。 — Because of him, the plan was ruined.
• 疲れていたせいか、すぐに寝てしまった。 — Maybe because I was tired, I fell asleep right away.

Nuance of せいで

The key nuance is negative cause or blame.

This matters because せいで does more than translate one English phrase. It shows how the speaker connects ideas, evaluates a situation, or frames the sentence for the listener.

For example:

• In context, it sounds natural when the surrounding sentence supports the nuance.
• Compared with おかげで, it has a different focus and level of formality.

せいで vs おかげで

Both せいで and おかげで can appear in related situations, but they are different.

せいで:

• means because of; due to
• fits the specific N3 pattern and nuance explained above

おかげで:

• おかげで gives credit for a positive result; せいで blames a cause for a negative result

Quick contrast examples:

• Target: 雨のせいで、試合が中止になった。 — Because of the rain, the game was canceled.
• Compare: Try replacing it with おかげで and check whether the nuance still matches.

Common mistakes with せいで

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using せいで for positive results without sarcasm
• Forgetting の after nouns
• Sounding too blaming when a neutral cause would be better

Is せいで on the JLPT?

Yes. せいで is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for せいで

• Blame rain for a canceled game.
• Say oversleeping made you late.
• Say tiredness caused a mistake.

Learning path for せいで

To learn せいで efficiently, review basic から and ので, then practice choosing whether the reason is positive, negative, formal, or explanatory.

1. First, make sure you can form せいで without looking at the pattern chart.
2. Next, compare it with おかげで, ことから.
3. Finally, write cause-and-effect sentences with clear consequences; then check whether replacing せいで with なぜなら changes the meaning.

Related grammar to review next

• おかげで — thanks to; because of.
• ことから — from the fact that; because.
• なぜなら — because; the reason is.
• そのために — for that reason; therefore.

Learn せいで with Hane

If you want to review せいで together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

• All grammar lessons
• JLPT N3 grammar lessons