à cause de
/a koz də/
The English phrase 'because of' can be translated into French using à cause de or en raison de.
Meaning: on account of, by reason of, for the purpose of (prep)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| à cause de | /a koz də/ |
| en raison de | /ɑ̃ ʁɛ.zɔ̃ də/ /ɑ̃ ʁe.zɔ̃ də/ |
These phrases are used to express the reason or cause for something. While they both mean 'because of', the choice between them depends on the tone of your sentence and whether the cause is positive or negative.
Which one should you use?
à cause de is used when the cause is negative or neutral. If the cause is positive, you should use grâce à, which translates to 'thanks to'. For a more formal, neutral or administrative tone, such as in professional or official contexts, use en raison de.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase à cause de must be followed by a noun or a pronoun, rather than a full clause starting with a subject and a verb.
Did you know?
- The word cause in à cause de is a doublet of the word chose, meaning 'thing', as both descended from the same Latin root.
- While à cause de and en raison de are used for reasons, the positive version grâce à literally means 'by the grace of'.
- While 'à cause de' is the standard way to say 'because of', using it for a good thing can sound like you are being sarcastic. For example, saying 'à cause de toi' to thank someone for a gift might sound like you are actually blaming them.
Examples in context
- Tout ça à cause de toi.It is all because of you.This sentence shows how to use à cause de to attribute an action to someone.Tatoeba #4721112 by thowas, translation #4721105 by thowas
- Tout est fichu à cause de toi.Everything is ruined because of you.This sentence illustrates using à cause de to describe a negative consequence.Tatoeba #12635815 by lbdx, translation #2964709 by Caleb
- Leonid a pleuré à cause de ça.Leonid cried because of that.This sentence demonstrates using à cause de with a pronoun to indicate a cause.Tatoeba #13493917 by Draves, translation #11860649 by Amastan
- En raison du mauvais temps, le match de football a été annulé.Because of the bad weather, the football match was canceled.
- La conférence a été reportée à cause d'un imprévu.The conference was postponed because of an unforeseen event.
- J'ai réussi mon examen grâce à tes conseils.I passed my exam because of your advice.
- J'arrive en retard à cause du trafic.I'm arriving late because of the traffic.
- J'apprécie ce cadeau grâce à toi.I appreciate this gift because of you.
- Le match a été annulé en raison de l'état du terrain.The match was canceled because of the condition of the field.
- 214 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about why they are late for dinner.
- LéaOn est en retard à cause du trafic.We are late because of the traffic.
- GabrielC'est vrai, il y avait trop de voitures.That's true, there were too many cars.
- LéaJe suis désolée à cause de ce retard.I am sorry because of this delay.
- GabrielCe n'est pas grave, Léa.It's not a problem, Léa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “because of” translations and entries à cause de, en raison de, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cause, de, en, en raison de, à, à cause de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
