につき

JLPT N2approx.Formal
Meaning
  1. 1Due to; owing to (formal statement of a reason or circumstance, often on signs and notices).Ex. 1
  2. 2Per; for each (a rate or amount for every single unit).Ex. 2
Examples
1
工事中こうじちゅうにつき、本日ほんじつは休館きゅうかんとさせていただきます。
Due to construction work, the facility will be closed today.
2
入場料にゅうじょうりょうは大人おとな一人ひとりにつき1000円えんです。
Admission is 1,000 yen per adult.
3
この件けんにつき、担当者たんとうしゃからご説明せつめいいたします。
The person in charge will explain this matter to you.
Formation
Noun+につきcause, often after a noun with 「〜中」, e.g. 「工事中につき」
+につきper unit, e.g. 「一人につき」「1時間につき」
Noun+につき"concerning", e.g. 「本件につき」
PoliteNoun+につきましてmostly in the "concerning" sense
Usage

The reason sense belongs to formal written Japanese: shop signs, public notices, business announcements and official letters. The rate sense is common in prices, fees and regulations. Compared with everyday ので or general ために, the reason use of につき sounds official and impersonal.

Watch out

Do not use reason-sense につき in casual conversation; it sounds stiff and bureaucratic there, so use ので or から instead.

Note that reason-sense につき normally follows a noun (often 〜中), not a plain verb or adjective form.

Learners sometimes use につき for recurring intervals; use ごとに for 'every X' repetition, e.g. 3日ごとに.

Easily confused with
  • 1.
    につけN2「につけ」 usually attaches to the dictionary form of verbs like 見る and 聞く, and also appears in 「何かにつけ」, meaning 'every time ..., a certain feeling naturally arises.' The 'per' of 「につき」, by contrast, is a proportional unit that attaches to counters, so the two cannot be interchanged.
  • 2.
    ゆえにN1「ゆえに」 only expresses reason or inference; it can follow verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and can also stand alone at the start of a sentence to mean 'therefore.' It has a strong classical flavor and appears mainly in academic papers and legal documents; notices and announcements usually use 「につき」 to state a reason, where 「ゆえに」 is rare.
  • 3.
    にてN2「にて」 is the formal equivalent of 「で」, mainly indicating place, means, or a closing such as 「これにて」; in notices it can also express a reason, so 「改装中にて休業」 and 「改装中につき休業」 are interchangeable. It does not express 'per' or 'concerning.'
  • 4.
    ごとにN3「ごとに」 corresponds only to the 'every' sense of 「につき」, emphasizing repeated occurrence at fixed intervals of time or distance, or that each unit differs (三十分ごとに来る); it can also attach to the dictionary form of verbs. It has no 'reason' or 'concerning' meaning and is neutral in register.
  • 5.
    ためにN4「につき」 and 「ために」 are similar only when expressing a reason: 「につき」 attaches only to nouns and is mostly seen in notices, while 「ために」 can follow verbs, adjectives, or 'noun + の' and is fairly neutral. 「ために」 can also express purpose, and 「につき」 can also mean 'per' and 'concerning.'
  • 6.
    のでN5「ので」 is close to 「につき」 only in the reason sense. 「につき」 attaches essentially only to nouns, appears mostly in notices, and sounds formal, whereas 「ので」 can follow verbs and adjectives (with nouns, forms like 「なので」 are used), is neutral in tone, and is common in conversation.

につけ means 'whenever / in connection with' (見るにつけ), and にて is a formal equivalent of で that marks place, means or sometimes cause (病気にて欠席します), but neither expresses a per-unit rate. ゆえに is a literary, logical 'therefore/because', ために and ので are general-purpose reason markers (ので being conversational), and ごとに stresses repetition at each interval rather than a per-unit rate.

Grammar · JLPT grammar levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

Say it right, write it right

Core lookup works fully offline, with cloud pronunciation and one-tap save & review. Free, no sign-up.

Free downloadWindowsFree downloadmacOSDownload on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
MobileiOS / Android

Android

QR code for the Google Play pageGet it on Google Play

Scan it with your Android phone to install, or search for “Tomoshi” on Google Play.

iOS

QR code for the App Store pageDownload on the App Store

Scan it with your iPhone camera to install, or search for “Tomoshi” in the App Store.

Install the browser extensionLook words up on any web page · Chrome / Edge / Safari

Screenshot of a Tomoshi lookup resultScreenshot of Tomoshi lookup results on a phone

Windows macOS Chrome / Edge / Safari extension iOS / Android