debido a
/deˈbido a/
The Spanish phrase for "due to" is debido a.
debido a is a preposition used to express that something is caused by something else.
Meaning: caused by (prep)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the phrase por razón de is more common, especially in formal and legal contexts. In Latin America, por motivo de is widely used, particularly within formal and bureaucratic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using debido a with a masculine singular noun, it contracts with the article el to form debido al. However, it does not contract with the feminine singular article la, nor with the plural articles los or las, so you use debido a la, debido a los or debido a las.
How do you pronounce it?
/deˈbido a/
Did you know?
- The phrase debido a can function as an adjective when it describes something that is 'proper' or 'appropriate', such as el debido proceso for 'due process'.
- The word debido comes from the verb deber, which means both 'to owe' money and 'must' in a moral sense. This links the idea of a cause to the idea of a debt being paid.
- In Spanish, the concept of 'due' in debido a shares a root with the English word 'debt'. Both originate from the Latin 'debere', meaning to owe.
Examples in context
- La escasez de agua es debido al clima.The water shortage is due to the weather.This sentence shows how to use debido a to link a shortage to the weather.Tatoeba #7981261 by pchamorro, translation #270746 by Swift
- La caja se rompió debido al peso de la carga.The box fell apart due to the weight of the load.This sentence demonstrates how to use debido a to explain how weight caused a box to break.Tatoeba #976506 by hayastan, translation #1300169 by kurisuteian
- Debido al mal tiempo, el juego fue cancelado.Due to the bad weather, the game was called off.This sentence shows how to use debido a at the start of a sentence to explain a cancellation caused by bad weather.Tatoeba #4381109 by Dan18, translation #4375388 by AlanF_US
- La conferencia se canceló debido a la falta de fondos.The conference was canceled due to lack of funds.
- La demora en el vuelo se produjo debido a condiciones climáticas adversas.The flight delay occurred due to adverse weather conditions.
- No pudimos realizar el trámite a causa de un error administrativo.We couldn't process the paperwork due to an administrative error.
- A causa de la huelga, el servicio de transporte estará interrumpido.Due to the strike, the transportation service will be interrupted.
- No pude asistir a la fiesta por problemas de salud.I couldn't attend the party due to health issues.
- El partido se canceló por la lluvia.The match was canceled due to the rain.
- Gracias al buen tiempo, pudimos disfrutar de la playa.Due to the good weather, we were able to enjoy the beach.
- El evento se canceló por razón de fuerza mayor.The event was canceled due to force majeure.
- El vuelo se retrasó por motivo de mantenimiento.The flight was delayed due to maintenance.
- No se permiten visitas por motivo de seguridad.Visits are not allowed due to security reasons.
- 62 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are discussing why the train is late.
- AlejandroEl tren llega tarde debido a un problema técnico.The train is late due to a technical problem.
- ElenaQué mala suerte, Alejandro.What bad luck, Alejandro.
- AlejandroSí, el retraso es debido a una falla eléctrica.Yes, the delay is due to an electrical failure.
- ElenaEspero que lo arreglen pronto.I hope they fix it soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “due to” translations and entries debido a, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, debido, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
