んがため / んがために

んがために means "in order to", with a strong sense of will behind the goal. It replaces the ない of the ない-form, so 勝たない gives かた勝たんがために and 生きない gives いき生きんがために; する becomes せんがために. It is a literary form, found in essays, speeches and fiction.

The に is optional, as the third example shows. The ん is an old ending meaning "would", not a negative, and が is an old form of の, so the pattern reads "for the sake of doing".

• × 守るんがために → 守らんがために
• × 実現しんがために → 実現せんがために

んがために or ために

ために after the dictionary form is the everyday "in order to", at home in any register. んがために says the same with more force and solemnity, and sounds out of place in conversation.

Before a noun, the form is んがための.