来客 の ため に 部屋 を 掃除しました。raikyaku no tame ni heya wo souzisimasita.
I cleaned the room for the visitors.
Breakdown of raikyaku no tame ni heya wo souzisimasita.
をwo
direct object particle
のno
possessive case particle
部屋heya
room
掃除するsouzisuru
to clean
ため にtame ni
for (the sake of)
来客raikyaku
visitor
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Questions & Answers about raikyaku no tame ni heya wo souzisimasita.
What does 来客 mean?
来客 (らいきゃく) literally means “incoming guests” or “visitors.” It refers to people who come to your home or place of business.
Why is there a の between 来客 and ため?
In Japanese, ため is a noun meaning “sake,” “purpose,” or “reason.” To express “for the purpose of X,” you attach の to X:
- Xのため → “for X’s sake” or “for X’s purpose.”
So 来客のため = “for the guests’ sake.”
What nuance does ために add to the sentence?
Here ために indicates purpose, not cause. It answers “why did you clean the room?”
- “I cleaned the room in order to (ために) welcome the guests.”
Contrast with ため (without に) in a causal sense, which is more formal/written: - 体調不良のため、欠席します (“Due to poor health, I will be absent.”)
Why is there a に after ため?
Because ため is a noun, and to turn it into a purpose phrase you need the particle に. Many nouns that express direction or target—like 目的 (もくてき), 準備 (じゅんび), ため—take に when used to indicate “for” or “in order to.”
Can you drop the に and say 来客のため部屋を掃除しました?
No. To express purpose with ため, you must include に. Without it, the phrase is ungrammatical for purpose.
You can, however, use ための when modifying a noun:
- 来客のための掃除 (“cleaning for the guests”)
But when you attach a verb after ため, you need に: - 来客のために掃除しました.
Why is 部屋 marked with を here?
Because 掃除する is a transitive verb (a “suru-verb”). You clean something, so the thing being cleaned (部屋) is the direct object and takes を:
- 部屋を掃除しました
(“I cleaned the room.”)
Could you say お掃除しました instead of 掃除しました to sound more polite?
You can say お掃除をしました or お掃除しました, but it’s more natural to add お to the noun and keep を:
- 部屋をお掃除しました
Also, you often add お only when speaking politely to someone else, not when referring neutrally to your own action.
What’s the difference between 来客 and お客様?
- 来客 is neutral/formal, used in writing or business contexts.
- お客様 is honorific and more polite, often used when addressing or referring respectfully to customers/guests.
So in a polite phrase you might say:
お客様のためにお部屋をお掃除しました.
Why is the verb in the past polite form 掃除しました instead of present?
Because the speaker is stating a completed action: “I cleaned the room.”
- Past form (ました) = “cleaned (already done).”
- Present/future form (します) would mean “I clean” or “I will clean,” which doesn’t match the context of something already finished.