〜し: Listing Reasons in Japanese ('And Besides…')
The "and besides…" it adds
The link し makes is addition — but a loaded kind of addition. It joins two or more reasons or qualities and colours each one as a point in your favour: "and on top of that…", "for one thing…". That makes it warmer and more conversational than a flat list with て or と, where you're just naming qualities side by side.
このカフェは安いし、おいしいです。
このカフェは やすいし、おいしいです。
This cafe is cheap, and besides, the food is good.
ヤッタンは頭がいいし、優しいです。
ヤッタンは あたまが いいし、やさしいです。
Yattan is smart, and on top of that, kind.
今日は雨だし、寒いし、家にいます。
きょうは あめだし、さむいし、いえに います。
It's raining today, and it's cold, so I'll stay home.
Two し-reasons leading to a decision.
Casual in tone, plain in form
し belongs to relaxed, subjective speech — the register where you're stacking up your reasons, not stating neutral facts. That casual footing shows in the form: し attaches to the plain (dictionary/casual) form, and any politeness waits for the final clause (安いし、おいしいです), never on し itself. With nouns and な-adjectives, add だ first:
| Word type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | plain form + し | 行くし / 行かないし |
| い-adjective | plain form + し | 安いし / 高かったし |
| な-adjective | な-adj + だ + し | 静かだし |
| Noun | noun + だ + し | 休みだし |
You can chain several し to pile on reasons, or use just one to soften a statement.
Where it leads: a conclusion, stated or implied
Because each し frames a reason, it naturally points forward to a conclusion — and that conclusion can be spoken or simply left hanging. Stack reasons and then land the decision:
時間もないし、お金もないし、行きません。
じかんも ないし、おかねも ないし、いきません。
I have no time, and no money either, so I'm not going.
も + し = 'no X, and no Y either.'
モチは料理ができるし、車も運転できます。
モチは りょうりが できるし、くるまも うんてんできます。
Mochi can cook, and what's more, can also drive.
先生は親切だし、説明も上手です。
せんせいは しんせつだし、せつめいも じょうずです。
The teacher is kind, and besides, explains things well.
親切 is a な-adjective, so 親切だし.
A single, trailing し can carry the whole load, leaving the result unsaid — perfect for a soft, natural excuse:
ヤッタンの弟はまだ小さいし…。
ヤッタンの おとうとは まだ ちいさいし…。
Well, Yattan's little brother is still young, for one thing…
Trailing し softens — the conclusion ('so let's go easy on him') is left implied.
And when you want the cause spelled out, し teams up with から ("because"): stack the reasons with し, then cap them with から to make the "so…" explicit.
安いし、近いから、この店にします。
やすいし、ちかいから、この みせに します。
It's cheap and close, so I'll go with this shop.
し lists reasons; から states the conclusion follows from them.
If you want the plain "A because B" link instead of an open-ended list, reach for 〜から or 〜ので on its own.
Watch-outs
- Forgetting だ with nouns and な-adjectives. It's 静かだし and 休みだし — not 静かし or 休みし.
- Using ます-form before し. し attaches to the plain form: 行くし (✓), not 行きますし. Keep politeness for the last clause.
- Treating し like English "and" for things. し links clauses (reasons/qualities), not nouns. To join nouns, use と or や: 犬と猫 ("a dog and a cat").
- Expecting a stated conclusion every time. A trailing し can stand alone, leaving the result implied — that open-endedness is the point.
The short version
- し lists reasons/qualities with an "and besides…" nuance.
- Attach it to the plain form; nouns and な-adjectives need だ first (静かだし).
- It often signals reasons leading to a conclusion, stated or implied.
- A single し softens ("for one thing…"); it pairs naturally with から.
Practice it
Choose the correct し form to list reasons.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
このカフェは安い＿＿＿、おいしいです。
Frequently asked questions
What does the particle し mean?
し links two or more reasons or qualities with an 'and what's more' feel: 安いし、おいしい ('cheap, and besides, tasty'). It often implies these are reasons for a conclusion.
How do I attach し to a noun or な-adjective?
Add だ first: 休みだし ('it's a day off, and…'), 静かだし ('it's quiet, and…'). Verbs and い-adjectives take し directly on the plain form.
What's the difference between し and から?
から states a single 'because' reason. し stacks up multiple reasons with an open-ended 'and besides' nuance. They often combine: 安いし、近いから… ('cheap and close, so…').
Can I use just one し?
Yes. A single, often trailing, し softens a statement and hints there's a reason ('for one thing…'), leaving the rest unsaid: まだ小さいし…。
Where 〜し fits
Don't confuse it with
- Conditional 〜と · N4 — The と conditional links A to an inevitable result B: 春になると、桜が咲く. Learn the plain-form formation, why B can't be a request, and how it differs from ば/たら/なら.
- で · N5 — The particle で marks where an action happens, the means or tool you use, the material, the cause, and the scope of a superlative. Learn each use and how で differs from に.
- です · N5 — です is the polite 'to be': NOUN/な-adjective + です means 'is/are.' Learn the negative じゃありません, past でした, how です attaches to い-adjectives, and the plain だ.
- が · N5 — が marks the grammatical subject and introduces new information. Learn how to use が with question words, existence (ある/いる), ability, and likes such as 好き — plus how が differs from は.
Once this clicks, go on to
- と · N5 — The particle と joins nouns into a complete list ('A and B'), means 'with' someone, and pairs with 同じ/違う for comparisons. Learn how と differs from や.
- や · N5 — The particle や lists nouns as examples, not a full set: 本やペンがある ('books, pens, and such'). Learn how や differs from と, and how to pair it with など.
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜ないでください — 〜ないでください is the polite way to ask someone not to do something ('please don't…'). Learn the formation from the ない-form, with examples and how it pairs with 〜てください.
- 〜てはいけない — 〜てはいけない means 'must not / not allowed to.' Learn the て-form formation, the polite てはいけません, casual ちゃいけない/じゃいけない, and the だめ and ならない variants.
- いちばん — いちばん (一番) makes superlatives in Japanese: just put it before an adjective to say 'the most ~' or 'the ~est.' Learn the で / の中で scope, how to ask and answer, and the common より mix-up.
- 〜すぎる — 〜すぎる means 'too much' or 'excessively': 食べすぎる (eat too much), 高すぎる (too expensive). Learn the verb, い-adjective, and な-adjective formations, plus the irregulars よすぎる and なさすぎる.
- 〜より / 〜のほうが — より means 'than' and のほうが marks the bigger side: BよりAのほうが高い = 'A is taller than B.' Learn both frames, how to answer どちらが questions, and word order.
- 〜でしょう / 〜だろう — でしょう means 'probably' and, with a rising tone, 'right?'. Learn how it attaches to verbs, adjectives, and nouns, its casual form だろう, and why forecasts love it.