所しょ為い

noun

act; deed; one's doing

Refers to a person's action, often with a nuance of responsibility or blame. Commonly used in the pattern ～は（…の）所為だ to attribute a result to someone's doing. Compare 仕業 (しわざ), which is more common for 'deed' in modern Japanese.

See also: 仕業

• これは彼かれの所しょ為いだ。

  This is his doing.

• 失しっ敗ぱいは自じ分ぶんの所しょ為いだと認みとめた。

  He admitted that the failure was his own doing.

noun

cause; reason

Only with reading しょい

Used to indicate the cause or reason for a situation, often with a negative connotation. Restricted to the reading しょい. In modern Japanese, せい (written 所為 or せい) is far more common for this meaning.

• 病やまいの所しょ為いで仕し事ごとを休やすんだ。

  I took time off work because of illness.

• 天てん候こうの所しょ為いで試し合あいが延えん期きになった。

  The match was postponed due to the weather.