a causa di
/a ˈkaw.sa di/word by word
The Italian phrase for "due to" is a causa di.
The phrase a causa di is used as a preposition to mean "caused by".
Meaning: caused by (prep)
Which one should you use?
While a causa di often implies a negative or neutral reason, per is a more general preposition used to express cause or purpose (meaning "because of" or "for").
How does it change in a sentence?
When a causa di is followed by a definite article, the preposition di combines with the article to form articulated prepositions like del, della, degli or delle.
How do you pronounce it?
/a ˈkaw.sa di/. The phrase has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use a causa alone to mean "due to". a causa cannot stand alone to mean "due to" without a following object or the preposition di.
Did you know?
- The word causa shares a common ancestor with the Italian word cosa, which means 'thing'.
- While a causa di is used for reasons, the word causa is also the legal term for a 'lawsuit' or 'court case' in Italian.
- In Italian, when you want to say you are fighting 'for a cause' in a noble or political sense, you use per una causa rather than a causa di.
Examples in context
- Il mio computer si bloccò a causa di un virus.My computer crashed due to a virus.This sentence is useful for showing how to use a causa di to explain why a computer crashed.Tatoeba #13323250 by Guybrush88, translation #9987633 by tsp_2
- Non può mangiare arachidi a causa di un'allergia.He can't eat peanuts due to an allergy.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use a causa di regarding an allergy.Tatoeba #13006513 by Nuel, translation #13006511 by Nuel
- Attualmente è single a causa di una recente rottura.He's currently single due to a recent breakup.This sentence is useful for illustrating the use of a causa di in the context of a breakup.Tatoeba #11652211 by Nuel, translation #11652208 by Nuel
- Il ritardo del volo è avvenuto a causa del maltempo.The flight delay occurred due to the bad weather.
- La commissione ha deciso di scegliere un nuovo presidente in ragione della sua vasta esperienza.The committee decided to choose a new president due to his extensive experience.
- Non potrò partecipare alla cena di stasera per via di un imprevisto.I won't be able to attend tonight's dinner due to an unexpected event.
- Non riesco a leggere il libro per colpa del mio gatto che ha mangiato le pagine.I can't read the book due to my cat that ate the pages.
- Ho deciso di non partecipare alla gita a motivo delle condizioni meteorologiche.I decided not to join the trip due to the weather conditions.
- Ho dovuto rinunciare alla festa a causa di un impegno di lavoro impegnativo.I had to give up the party due to a demanding work commitment.
- Sono arrivato in ritardo a scuola per colpa del traffico.I arrived late at school due to traffic.
- Non ci sarà lezione stasera in ragione della malattia del docente.There won't be a lesson tonight due to the teacher's illness.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are discussing why they are late to a meeting.
- FrancescoSiamo in ritardo a causa di molto traffico.We are late due to a lot of traffic.
- GiuliaSì, c'era un incidente in strada.Yes, there was an accident on the road.
- FrancescoIl capo sarà arrabbiato con noi.The boss will be angry with us.
- GiuliaSpero che capisca la situazione, Francesco.I hope he understands the situation, Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “due to” translations and entries a causa di, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (a, causa, di) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, a causa di, causa, di, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
