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kaze ga tuyoi node, mado wo simemasu.

風かぜ　が　強つよい　ので、　窓まど　を　閉しめます。kaze ga tuyoi node, mado wo simemasu.
Because the wind is strong, I close the window.
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Questions & Answers about kaze ga tuyoi node, mado wo simemasu.

What function does the particle が have in 風が強い?

The particle が marks 風 (wind) as the subject of the adjective 強い (strong). In Japanese, adjectives and verbs take が to indicate what is “doing” or “having” that quality.
Example:

  • 雨が冷たい (The rain is cold)
  • 音楽が好きだ (I like music; literally “Music is likable”)
Why is 強い in the plain form instead of 強いです? Why can’t we say 強いですので?

When you use ので to connect a reason clause, it attaches to the plain (dictionary) form of verbs and adjectives. So for an い-adjective like 強い, you keep it as 強いので.

  • Correct: 風が強いので…
  • ✗ Incorrect/unnatural: 風が強いですので…

Using plain form before ので is simply the standard grammar pattern.

What does ので mean, and how is it different from から?

Both ので and から can mean “because” or “since,” but:

  • ので is softer, more objective and polite. It often presents a reason gently or as an explanation.
  • から is more direct, you simply state the cause.

Compare:

  • 風が強いので、窓を閉めます。 (Since the wind is strong, I’ll close the window.)
  • 風が強いから、窓を閉めます。 (Because the wind is strong, I’ll close the window.)
How do you read the kanji 風, 窓, and 閉めます?
  • 風 is read かぜ (kaze) – “wind.”
  • 窓 is read まど (mado) – “window.”
  • 閉めます is read しめます (shimemasu), from the transitive verb 閉める (しめる) – “to close (something).”
Why does 窓 take the particle を in 窓を閉めます?

The particle を marks 窓 as the direct object of the verb 閉めます. In Japanese word order, you say:
Subject (often omitted) + 窓を + Verb (閉めます).

There’s no “I” (私) in the sentence. Who is doing the action?
Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. Here, the implied subject is “I” (the speaker) or “we” (the people present). It’s understood, so you don’t need to say 私が.
What’s the difference between 閉める and 閉まる?
  • 閉める (しめる) is transitive: you close something.
  • 閉まる (しまる) is intransitive: something closes / is closed on its own.

So if you say ドアが閉まる, it means “the door closes” (by itself or someone didn’t mention the doer).

Is the comma (、) necessary between ので and 窓を閉めます? Can you omit it?

The comma is not strictly required but commonly used to improve readability. It marks the end of the reason clause 風が強いので and the start of the main clause. You can write:

  • 風が強いので、窓を閉めます。
  • 風が強いので窓を閉めます。
    Both are grammatically correct; the comma just clarifies the break.