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How to Say ‘It might be because I overate.’ in Japanese

食べすぎたせいかもしれません。

tabe sugi ta sei ka mo shire mase n

[tah-BEH soo-GEE tah SAY kah moh shee-REH mah-SEH n]

💬 Usage Tip: せい "fault, cause" names something bad as the cause: ストレスのせい "because of stress".

Phrase Breakdown

食べすぎたせい

tabe sugi ta sei

because I ate too much

せい (sei) means 'fault' or 'because of'. It is used for a cause with a bad result.

Example

寝不足のせいです。

It's because of lack of sleep.

Words in this phrase

食べ

tabe

[tah-BEH]

eat

Stem of the verb taberu, 'to eat'; here combined with sugiru to mean 'eat too much'.

Example

朝ごはんを食べました。

I ate breakfast.

すぎ

sugi

[soo-GEE]

too much; overdo

Attached to a verb stem to mean doing something excessively.

Example

飲みすぎました。

I drank too much.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

This ending completes the polite past tense form.

Example

空席がございました。

There were vacant seats.

せい

sei

[SAY]

cause; fault

Noun meaning the (usually bad) cause of something.

Example

寝不足のせいで頭が痛い。

My head hurts because of lack of sleep.

かもしれません。

ka mo shire mase n

it might be

This adds polite uncertainty: 'it might be because...'

Example

風邪かもしれません。

It might be a cold.

Words in this phrase

か

[kah]

question marker

Placed at the end of a sentence to make it a question.

Example

A席はありますか。

Are there A seats available?

も

[moh]

also; too

A particle meaning also or too.

Example

電話番号もお願いします。

Your phone number too, please.

しれ

shire

[shee-REH]

know (part of かもしれない)

Stem of 知れる; in かもしれない it forms 'might, maybe'.

Example

雨が降るかもしれない。

It might rain.

ませ

mase

[mah-SEH]

polite negative ending

Part of the polite negative form -masen, making a verb or expression negative and polite.

Example

わかりません。

I don't understand.

ん

[n]

(negative ending)

Contracted form of the polite negative ending, as in ありません.

Example

今日は時間がありません。

I don't have time today.

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