〜ので
Because… — an objective reason, softer than からmachine translation
FormationPlain form + ので (nouns and な-adjectives + なので)
ので gives a reason like から (learned at N5) but is more objective and gentle: the speaker presents the cause as a natural state of affairs leading to the result, rather than as their own subjective reasoning. That makes ので a great fit for asking permission, making requests, or explaining yourself to superiors: 頭が痛いので、早く帰ってもいいですか.
Connection: plain form + ので; nouns and な-adjectives take なので: 試験なので, 便利なので. In polite sentences, attaching it right after the ます-form (〜ますので) also works and sounds formal.
Compared with から: から stresses a subjective, forceful reason, and even blunt commands can follow it; ので is courteous, so it rarely pairs with direct commands. And when the "reason" carries the feeling of "and yet, even so," that's のに territory — don't mix up these two patterns that differ by a single character.
Examples
頭が痛いので、早く帰ってもいいですか。
I have a headache, so may I go home early?
明日は試験なので、今晩勉強します。
There's an exam tomorrow, so I'll study tonight.
電車が遅れたので、会議に間に合いませんでした。
The train was late, so I didn't make it to the meeting in time.