कारण (kaaran)

noun/postposition Mainly a noun meaning 'reason/cause,' but it also fossilizes into a postposition-like phrase meaning 'because of' -- both senses are common in everyday and written Hindi.
Sense 1 : reason, cause
noun, masculine
Synonyms: वजह (vajah), सबब (sabab, less common)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear कारण (kaaran) constantly in news reports and official explanations -- मौसम खराब होने के कारण (mausam kharaab hone ke kaaran, 'due to bad weather') is the kind of phrase that shows up in train announcements and news bulletins alike. It pairs naturally with क्यों (kyon, 'why') as its answer: क्यों? इस कारण से। (kyon? is kaaran se।, 'Why? For this reason.')
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach only for वजह (vajah) since it feels more colloquial; कारण (kaaran) is equally common and slightly more likely to appear in writing or explanations, e.g. इसका कारण (iskaa kaaran, 'the reason for this'). 2) कारण (kaaran) is grammatically masculine even though it doesn't end in the typical आ (aa) pattern -- it stays कारण (kaaran) in the plural too, since it belongs to the invariant-noun class.
Sample Sentences:
मौसम खराब होने के कारण उड़ान रद्द कर दी गई। Due to bad weather, the flight was cancelled.
(mausam kharaab hone ke kaaran udaan radd kar dii gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
उसने अपनी हार का कारण नहीं बताया। He didn't explain the reason for his defeat.
(usne apnii haar kaa kaaran nahiin bataayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्यों? इस कारण से। Why? For this reason.
(kyon? is kaaran se।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Voice: Active
इस घटना का असली कारण क्या है? What is the real reason for this incident?
(is ghatnaa kaa aslii kaaran kyaa hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया अपनी अनुपस्थिति का कारण लिखकर दें। Please give the reason for your absence in writing.
(kripyaa apnii anupasthiti kaa kaaran likhkar den।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर उसे सच्चा कारण मिल जाता, तो वह जरूर मान जाता। If he had found the real reason, he would surely have agreed.
(agar use sachchaa kaaran mil jaataa, to vah jaroor maan jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हर घटना के पीछे कोई न कोई कारण होता है। There is some reason or other behind every event.
(har ghatnaa ke piichhe koii n koii kaaran hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद कोई गहरा कारण हो जिसकी वजह से वह इतना परेशान है। Perhaps there is some deep reason why he is so troubled.
(shaayad koii gahraa kaaran ho jiskii vajah se vah itnaa pareshaan hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुलिस अभी तक हत्या का कारण नहीं ढूंढ पाई है। The police have still not been able to find the reason for the murder.
(pulis abhii tak hatyaa kaa kaaran nahiin dhoondh paaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जांच में दुर्घटना का कारण स्पष्ट किया जाएगा। The reason for the accident will be clarified in the investigation.
(jaanch men durghatnaa kaa kaaran spasht kiyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
बिना किसी कारण के वह मुझसे नाराज़ हो गई। She got angry with me for no reason at all.
(binaa kisii kaaran ke vah mujhse naaraaz ho gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : because of, due to
postposition Used in the frame [oblique noun/clause] + के कारण (ke kaaran) to mean 'because of X' -- functions like a compound postposition built on the noun sense.
Synonyms: वजह से (vajah se), की वजह से (kii vajah se)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the more formal cousin of की वजह से (kii vajah se) -- both mean the same thing, but के कारण (ke kaaran) shows up more in written notices, exam answers, and news, while की वजह से (kii vajah se) feels more natural in spoken excuses and daily chat.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop के (ke) and just say noun + कारण (kaaran), but the postpositional sense needs के कारण (ke kaaran) together, e.g. बारिश के कारण (baarish ke kaaran, 'because of the rain'), not बारिश कारण (baarish kaaran).
Sample Sentences:
भारी बारिश के कारण उड़ान रद्द कर दी गई। The flight was cancelled because of heavy rain.
(bhaarii baarish ke kaaran udaan radd kar dii gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
सड़क पर जलभराव के कारण यातायात बुरी तरह प्रभावित हुआ है। Because of waterlogging on the road, traffic has been badly affected.
(sadak par jalabhraav ke kaaran yaataayaat burii tarah prabhaavit huaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
तबीयत खराब होने के कारण वह परीक्षा में शामिल नहीं हो सका। Because of falling ill, he could not take part in the exam.
(tabiiyat kharaab hone ke kaaran vah pariikshaa men shaamil nahiin ho sakaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
तकनीकी खराबी के कारण वेबसाइट कुछ देर के लिए बंद रहेगी। Due to a technical fault, the website will remain closed for some time.
(takniikii kharaabii ke kaaran vebsaait kuchh der ke lie band rahegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर समय पर सावधानी बरती जाए, तो कई दुर्घटनाएँ किसी न किसी कारण से टल जाती हैं। If precautions are taken in time, many accidents get averted because of one factor or another.
(agar samay par saavdhaanii bartii jaae, to kaii durghatnaaen kisii n kisii kaaran se tal jaatii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अनुशासनहीनता के कारण उसे टीम से निकाल दिया गया। Because of indiscipline, he was removed from the team.
(anushaasnahiintaa ke kaaran use tiim se nikaal diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
यदि प्रबंधन की लापरवाही के कारण यह हादसा न हुआ होता, तो इतनी जानें न जातीं। If this accident had not happened because of the management's negligence, so many lives would not have been lost.
(yadi prabandhan kii laaparvaahii ke kaaran yah haadsaa n huaa hotaa, to itnii jaanen n jaatiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
कृपया ध्यान दें कि रखरखाव कार्य के कारण मेट्रो सेवा रात दस बजे से बंद रहेगी। Please note that due to maintenance work, the metro service will remain closed from ten at night.
(kripyaa dhyaan den ki rakharkhaav kaary ke kaaran metro sevaa raat das baje se band rahegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
आर्थिक मंदी के कारण कई कंपनियों ने अपने कर्मचारियों की संख्या घटाई है। Because of the economic slowdown, many companies have reduced the number of their employees.
(aarthik mandii ke kaaran kaii kampniyon ne apne karmchaariyon kii sankhyaa ghataaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
प्रदूषण के बढ़ते स्तर के कारण साँस की बीमारियाँ आम होती जा रही हैं। Because of the rising level of pollution, respiratory illnesses are becoming common.
(pradooshan ke badhte star ke kaaran saans kii biimaariyaan aam hotii jaa rahii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस निर्णय के कारण उत्पन्न स्थिति पर सरकार शीघ्र स्पष्टीकरण जारी करे, ऐसी माँग की जा रही है। There is a demand that the government should soon issue a clarification on the situation arising because of this decision.
(is nirnay ke kaaran utpann sthiti par sarkaar shiighr spashtiikran jaarii kare, aisii maang kii jaa rahii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): कारण (kaaran)
(sg.m.oblique): कारण (kaaran)
(pl.m.direct): कारण (kaaran)
(pl.m.oblique): कारणों (kaarnon)