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I am vaguely aware of how to use 「のために」in sentences, but I have recently encountered the following sentence:

「日本語がわかるようになるには、そんな風にゴロゴロしていないで。」

Would there be any significant difference when 「に」is replaced by 「ために」? How are the two different and when is it more appropriate to use the other?

「日本語がわかるようになるためには、そんな風にゴロゴロしていないで。」

Also, 「『の』ための」is a new expression for me.

説明、ありがとうございます！

user29302
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1 Answers1

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I believe the differences concern syntax and slight changes in connotations. Nuances can never be accurately matched to exact expressions in other languages, but take for example in English, "so as to" and "in order to" or merely "to" that are similar ways to express cause.

In this case, the way I see it,

「日本語がわかるようになるには...」

can be translated as "In order to be able (literally become able) to understand Japanese..."

and

「日本語がわかるようになるためには...」

while meaning the same, could be translated as "For the sake of becoming able to understand Japanese..." and I believe it emphasizes more the desired (or, in general, triggered) situation.

As for「~のための」,

while「~のために」tends to be followed by a verb

「日本語で上手になるために勉強しなければならない」

"In order to become good at Japanese you have to study"

or to be stand-alone as a single secondary clause 「あなたのために - "For you" ,

the「~のための」form is followed by a noun

「あなたのための努力」

"Efforts for your own good".

while with「~のために」it should be

「あなたのためにされた努力」

"Efforts that were made for you", and in this syntax, a verb is required.

It would not be right to say 「あなたのために努力」X

I hope this helps. If anything seems out of place, corrections are welcome. I am still learning myself.

Dimokratis
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