ので vs なので

[StueyT]

Hi,
I've just come across なので for the first time. In the context I'm reading it, it seems to have the same meaning as ので. Is there actually any difference? Or any circumstance where it's more appropriate to use it instead of ので?

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by StueyT

Hi,
I've just come across なので for the first time. In the context I'm reading it, it seems to have the same meaning as ので. Is there actually any difference? Or any circumstance where it's more appropriate to use it instead of ので?

If you have a noun or a na-adjective before ので, you have to have a な. Hence why you have なので.

日本に住んでいたので、日本語が話せる。
I lived in Japan, so I can speak Japanese.

日本人なので、日本語が話せる。
I am Japanese, so I can speak Japanese.

Think of the な as replacing the です　that would otherwise go there if there were no ので or anything after that in the sentence (日本人だので->日本人なので)

[chryuop]

Ｋｙｌｅさんは「日本人ではないのに、日本語が話せる 」と言うはずですね。
Just kidding

[KyleGoetz]

Reminds me of another structure: くせに. It's the same dictionary meaning "even though" or "despite," but it's only used in negative/disdainful constructions.

For example,
日本人のくせにこの漢字が書けないのか？！
Even though you're Japanese, you can't write this kanji?!

アメリカに生まれたくせにアルカーイダに参加した。
Despite being born in America, he joined/participated in Al Qaeda.

Now, I don't know if you can use it with a grammatical-negative clause, so I don't know if this one is correct (and it also could only be correct if you viewed learning Japanese as a bad thing for an American to do:
日本人ではないくせに日本語が話せる。

This is what Goo has to say about it

くせに【癖に】

［接助］《名詞「くせ（癖）」＋格助詞「に」から》活 用語の連体形および格助詞「の」に付く。非難や不満の 気持ちを込めて逆接条件を表す。にもかかわらず。のに 。くせして。「弱い―強がりを言う」「本当は好きな― 、そぶりも見せない」
[補説]打ち解けた会話に用いられる語。「のに」の場合よりも 難詰や非難の気持ちが強い。また、「なによ、何も知ら ないくせに」のような終助詞的用法もある。

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

Now, I don't know if you can use it with a grammatical-negative clause, so I don't know if this one is correct (and it also could only be correct if you viewed learning Japanese as a bad thing for an American to do:
日本人ではないくせに日本語が話せる。

You can if you have a negative view of the fact/situation.

To put it in an extreme way, that sentence can be rephrases as "Why the hell does a red-headed and green-eyed dude like you even speak Japanese!!!???"

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by masaegu

You can if you have a negative view of the fact/situation.

To put it in an extreme way, that sentence can be rephrases as "Why the hell does a red-headed and green-eyed dude like you even speak Japanese!!!???"

Thanks. I'm glad I posed that sentence with the question instead of leaving the post with stuff I was 100% sure about.

[chryuop]

So is くせに always pointing out a negative remark? (I ask before I used it with some friends and I act rude LOL).

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by chryuop

So is くせに always pointing out a negative remark? (I ask before I used it with some friends and I act rude LOL).

You will sound pretty negative and quite possibly even rude if you use it with a stranger. However, you will not if you use it with a close friend that you kid around a lot with.

[StueyT]

Cheers guys