Je reste à la maison parce qu'il pleut.
English: I stay at home because it is raining.
- Language
- French
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Expressions de modalité et de logique
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In French, 'expression de la cause' means expressing the reason why something happens. You use special words or phrases to show the cause of an action or situation.
When to use it
Use these forms to explain why something happens, to give a reason, or to answer questions like 'Why?' in French.
Key forms
- parce que + sentence (e.g. parce qu'il pleut)
- car + sentence (e.g. car il est malade)
- puisque + sentence (e.g. puisque tu es là)
- à cause de + noun (e.g. à cause de la pluie)
- grâce à + noun (for positive reasons, e.g. grâce à son aide)
Examples
Elle est fatiguée car elle a mal dormi.
English: She is tired because she slept badly.
Nous sommes heureux grâce à toi.
English: We are happy thanks to you.
Le match est annulé à cause de la neige.
English: The match is cancelled because of the snow.
Puisque tu es prêt, on peut commencer.
English: Since you are ready, we can start.
Tips
- Use 'parce que' to answer 'why' questions. It is the most common way to say 'because'.
- 'À cause de' is used for negative reasons; 'grâce à' is used for positive reasons.
- 'Parce que', 'car', and 'puisque' are followed by a full sentence (subject + verb). 'À cause de' and 'grâce à' are followed by a noun.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Do not use 'parce que' at the beginning of a sentence in formal writing.
- 'Car' is more formal and less common in spoken French.