Breakdown of tikyuu wo mamoru tame ni, kankyou ni ii syouhin wo erabimasu.
をwo
direct object particle
いいii
good
選ぶerabu
to choose
ため にtame ni
for (the sake of)
にni
target particle
環境kankyou
environment
地球tikyuu
Earth
守るmamoru
to protect
商品syouhin
product
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Questions & Answers about tikyuu wo mamoru tame ni, kankyou ni ii syouhin wo erabimasu.
How do you read 地球 and 環境, and what do these kanji mean?
地球 is read ちきゅう (地 = earth/ground, 球 = sphere/ball), literally “the earth.”
環境 is read かんきょう (環 = ring/circle, 境 = boundary/condition), meaning “environment.”
What does ために mean in this sentence, and how is it used to express purpose?
When ために follows a verb in its dictionary form, it means “in order to ….”
Here, 地球を守るために means “in order to protect the Earth.”
Grammar pattern: Verb (dictionary form) + ために = purpose clause.
Why is 守る in plain form rather than the polite 守ります in the purpose clause?
Subordinate clauses (like those with ために) always use the dictionary/plain form of the verb, regardless of whether the main clause is polite. That’s why it’s 守るために, even though we end with the polite 選びます.
What is the role of を after 地球?
を marks the direct object of a transitive verb. In 地球を守る, 地球 is the thing being “protected,” so it takes を before the verb 守る.
Why is there a comma after ために?
Japanese often uses commas to separate clauses for readability. Here, the comma shows that 地球を守るために is a standalone purpose clause before the main action 環境にいい商品を選びます. It’s optional but common in writing.
What does 環境にいい mean, and why is the particle に used with 環境?
環境にいい means “good for the environment.” The particle に marks the target or beneficiary of いい (“good”). So you’re saying the product is beneficial to (for) the 環境.
Could I say 環境がいい instead of 環境にいい?
No. 環境がいい means “the environment is good/nice.”
To describe something as “good for the environment,” you need ～にいい (beneficial to X).
Why is the main verb 選びます in the polite form?
The speaker is making a polite statement about their action. In Japanese it’s common to use ～ます-form for the main verb when speaking or writing politely.
Are there other ways to say “eco-friendly products” besides 環境にいい商品?
Yes. For example:
• エコ商品 (“eco products”)
• 環境にやさしい商品 (“products that are gentle/kind to the environment”)