N3 Reasons, Causes, and Results

~おかげで: meaning, usage and examples

~おかげで means: thanks to... (positive reason).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. この本ほんのおかげで合格ごうかくできました。

   Thanks to this book, I passed the exam.

2. 先生せんせいが助たすけてくださったおかげで、プロジェクトが成功せいこうしました。

   Thanks to the teacher's help, the project succeeded.

3. 友ともだちが手伝てつだってくれたおかげで、早はやく終おわりました。

   Thanks to my friend's help, I finished early.

4. 薬くすりを飲のんだおかげで、熱ねつが下さがりました。

   Thanks to the medicine, my fever went down.

When to use it

Use おかげで to give the cause of a good result: "thanks to." It often thanks a person or a thing for their help, as in 先生せんせいのおかげで合格ごうかくできました. The result clause describes something positive that happened, so the verb is usually in the past or the potential form (できた, 治なおった, 間まに合あった). おかげだ ends a sentence: 君きみのおかげだ ("It is thanks to you").

Nuance

Carries a feeling of gratitude toward the cause. If you use it for a bad result (君きみのおかげで遅刻ちこくした), it becomes sarcastic and sounds bitter. おかげさまで is a set polite phrase meaning "I am doing well, thank you," and needs no cause in front of it.

Compare

せいで blames a cause for a bad result: 雨あめのせいで試合しあいが中止ちゅうしになった. ために is neutral and more formal, often written: 事故じこのために電車でんしゃが遅おくれた. Choose by feeling: thanks (おかげで), blame (せいで), or no feeling at all (ために).

Tip: Ask yourself whether you are grateful. If yes, use おかげで. If you are complaining, switch to せいで.