Llegué tarde por el tráfico.
English: I arrived late because of the traffic.
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Preposiciones
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Preposiciones de causa in Spanish are words or phrases used to explain the reason or cause of an action or situation.
When to use it
Use these prepositions in Spanish to explain why something happens, to give the cause of an event, or to justify an action.
Key forms
- por
- debido a
- a causa de
- gracias a
Examples
No salimos debido a la lluvia.
English: We didn't go out due to the rain.
El partido se canceló a causa de una tormenta.
English: The match was cancelled because of a storm.
Aprobé el examen gracias a tu ayuda.
English: I passed the exam thanks to your help.
Tips
- Use 'por' for general causes or reasons.
- Use 'debido a' and 'a causa de' for more formal or specific reasons.
- 'Gracias a' is used for positive causes.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Do not use 'porque' as a preposition. 'Porque' is a conjunction and connects clauses, not nouns.