Portuguese prepositions of cause play a crucial role in expressing the reasons or causes behind certain actions or events. These prepositions establish a relationship between the cause and its effect, allowing speakers to convey the motive behind a particular situation. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the various Portuguese prepositions of cause, their usage, and provide example sentences to illustrate their meaning and application.
Por (Because of/For)
The preposition “por” is commonly used to express cause or motive in Portuguese. It indicates the reason behind an action or event. It can be translated as “because of” or “for” in English.
Example sentences:
Ela chorou por tristeza. (She cried because of sadness.)
Ele estudou muito por um bom resultado. (He studied a lot for a good result.)
Devido a (Due to/Owing to)
The preposition “devido a” is equivalent to “due to” or “owing to” in English. It is used to highlight the cause or reason behind a specific situation.
Example sentences:
A festa foi cancelada devido à chuva. (The party was canceled due to the rain.)
Devido ao tráfego intenso, cheguei atrasado. (Due to heavy traffic, I arrived late.)
Graças a (Thanks to)
The preposition “graças a” is used to express gratitude for a particular cause or reason. It can be translated as “thanks to” in English.
Example sentences:
Graças à sua ajuda, consegui terminar o projeto. (Thanks to your help, I managed to finish the project.)
Nós vencemos o jogo graças ao nosso treinador. (We won the game thanks to our coach.)
Por causa de (Because of)
The prepositional phrase “por causa de” is a common way to express causality in Portuguese. It is equivalent to the English phrase “because of.”
Example sentences:
Por causa da greve, os funcionários não puderam trabalhar. (Because of the strike, the employees couldn’t work.)
Eu não fui ao cinema por causa do mau tempo. (I didn’t go to the movies because of the bad weather.)
Em razão de (In view of/By reason of)
The prepositional phrase “em razão de” is used to indicate the cause or reason for a particular event or action. It can be translated as “in view of” or “by reason of” in English.
Example sentences:
Em razão do atraso, a reunião foi adiada. (In view of the delay, the meeting was postponed.)
Em razão de suas habilidades, ele foi promovido. (By reason of his skills, he was promoted.)
Por motivo de (For the reason of)
The prepositional phrase “por motivo de” is used to express the reason or cause behind a specific action or event. It can be translated as “for the reason of” in English.
Example sentences:
O evento foi cancelado por motivo de falta de patrocínio. (The event was canceled for the reason of lack of sponsorship.)
Por motivo de saúde, ele não pôde comparecer à festa. (For the reason of health, he couldn’t attend the party.)
Devido ao fato de (Due to the fact that)
The prepositional phrase “devido ao fato de” is used to introduce a cause or reason. It is equivalent to the English phrase “due to the fact that.”
Example sentences:
Ele foi promovido devido ao fato de seu excelente desempenho. (He was promoted due to the fact that he performed excellently.)
Devido ao fato de eu estar cansado, não pude sair à noite. (Due to the fact that I was tired, I couldn’t go out at night.)
Por conta de (Because of/Due to)
The prepositional phrase “por conta de” is commonly used to express the cause or reason behind a particular situation. It can be translated as “because of” or “due to” in English.
Example sentences:
Eu perdi o ônibus por conta do trânsito congestionado. (I missed the bus because of the heavy traffic.)
Por conta da pandemia, tivemos que cancelar o evento. (Due to the pandemic, we had to cancel the event.)
It is important to note that the usage of prepositions in any language can be nuanced and context-dependent. While these examples provide a general understanding of how prepositions of cause are used in Portuguese, it is essential to continue learning and practicing the language to gain a deeper understanding of their application in various contexts.
Originally posted 2023-07-14 14:58:38.