〜のも当然だ: 'No Wonder / It's Only Natural' (Meaning + Examples)
Declaring an outcome as expected
Use 〜のも当然だ when a result, feeling, or behavior — even one that sounds extreme — is completely justified by a cause you've just mentioned. It signals empathy or agreement: given the circumstances, of course that happened.
やったんは三日間も寝ていないなら、疲れているのも当然だ。
やったんは みっかかんも ねていないなら、つかれているのも とうぜんだ。
If Yattan hasn't slept in three days, it's only natural that he's exhausted.
寝ていない (cause) → 疲れているのも当然だ (expected effect).
あんなひどいことを言われたら、モチが怒るのも当然だ。
あんな ひどいことを いわれたら、モチが おこるのも とうぜんだ。
If someone said something that awful, it's no wonder Mochi got angry.
初めての海外旅行なら、緊張するのも当然だ。
はじめての かいがいりょこうなら、きんちょうするのも とうぜんだ。
If it's your first trip abroad, it's only natural to be nervous.
Attaching to the clause
〜のも当然だ follows a full clause in the plain form (verb, い-adjective, or な-adjective/noun + だ), with の nominalizing it before 当然だ judges it.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain-form verb | V(plain) + のも当然だ | 疲れているのも当然だ |
| い-adjective | Adj-い + のも当然だ | 忙しいのも当然だ |
| な-adjective/noun | Adj-な / N + なのも当然だ | 心配なのも当然だ |
毎日残業しているなら、体調を崩すのも当然だ。
まいにち ざんぎょうしているなら、たいちょうを くずすのも とうぜんだ。
If you're working overtime every single day, it's only natural your health would break down.
A cause clause (なら/ば/たら) often sets up the のも当然だ conclusion.
Don't confuse with 〜わけだ
〜わけだ also draws a "makes sense" conclusion, but it's more neutral — just explaining logically why something is the way it is. 〜のも当然だ adds a stronger evaluative stance: the speaker is affirming that the outcome is justified, often with sympathy or agreement, not merely logically consistent.
The short version
- 〜のも当然だ = "it's only natural that…", "no wonder…" — a stated cause fully justifies the outcome.
- Attaches to: a plain-form clause + の + 当然だ (verb/い-adj directly; な-adj/noun + な).
- Nuance/register: often expresses sympathy or agreement, not just logic.
- Don't confuse with: 〜わけだ, a more neutral "that explains it" conclusion.
Practice it
Choose のも当然だ when a stated cause makes the following outcome unsurprising.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
三日間も寝ていないなら、＿＿＿。
Where 〜のも当然だ fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜ものだ · N3 — 〜ものだ states general truths and common-sense advice, recalls how things used to be (〜たものだ), and voices strong feeling. Learn all four N3 uses and 〜ものではない.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜一方で — 〜一方で adds a contrasting side to what you just said, or names a second action happening alongside the first — like 'on the other hand' or 'while also.' Attaches after a plain-form verb, adjective, or noun+である.
- 〜にもかかわらず — にもかかわらず means 'despite / in spite of,' marking a strong contrast between a circumstance and an unexpected outcome (雨にもかかわらず、試合は行われた). It's more formal and emphatic than のに.
- 〜お願いします／お願い申し上げます — 〜お願いします and its more formal cousin 〜お願い申し上げます attach after a noun, ご+verb-stem, or 〜のほど to make a very polite, humble request — ご確認お願いします ('please confirm'). Common in business Japanese and formal writing.
- 〜ねばならない — 〜ねばならない is the formal, literary way to say 'must / have to,' built from the negative conditional 〜ねば ('if not') + ならない ('won't do'). Common in writing, speeches, and rules.
- 〜ぶりに — 〜ぶりに attaches to a period of time to mean 'for the first time in [that period]' — 3年ぶりに (for the first time in 3 years). It marks a gap since the last occurrence, often with a nostalgic or relieved feel.
- どうやら — どうやら is an adverb meaning 'it seems' or 'apparently' — a guess based on what you've observed, usually paired with らしい or ようだ at the end of the sentence: どうやら〜らしい ('it seems that...').