på grund af

Because of (På Grund Af)

Level 3

på grund af = because of / due to
Used with nouns or pronouns (e.g., 'på grund af regnen').

How It Works

The phrase på grund af is the standard Danish way to say 'because of'. It is a fixed expression consisting of three words, though it is often abbreviated as pga. in writing.

1. Usage with Nouns and Pronouns
It most commonly precedes a noun phrase or a pronoun. For example:

  • på grund af dig (because of you)
  • på grund af vejret (because of the weather)

2. Usage with Clauses (på grund af at)
While fordi is the most common way to introduce a reason with a full clause, you can also use på grund af at. This functions as a complex conjunction. Note that when using this, you must follow subordinate clause word order.
Example: Han kom for sent på grund af at toget var aflyst.

3. Sentence Position and Word Order
You can place the phrase at the end of a sentence or at the beginning. If you start a sentence with it, remember the V2 rule: the verb must remain the second element.
Example: På grund af regnen blev vi hjemme. (Because of the rain, we stayed home).

4. Nuance and Alternatives
While på grund af is neutral, Danes often use takket være ('thanks to') for positive reasons. In very formal contexts, you might see the single word grundet used instead.

5. Spoken Danish
In natural speech, the 'f' in af is standardly silent, and the word grund has a 'stød' (glottal catch).

Examples (4)

  1. Vi aflyste turen på grund af regnen.

    We canceled the trip because of the rain.

    Word by Word: We canceled the-trip on ground of the-rain.

    Here, 'på grund af' connects the action (canceling) to the noun 'regnen' (the rain).

  2. Jeg gjorde det kun på grund af dig.

    I only did it because of you.

    Word by Word: I did it only on ground of you.

    This shows 'på grund af' used with a personal pronoun.

  3. På grund af tekniske problemer er toget forsinket.

    Due to technical problems, the train is delayed.

    Word by Word: On ground of technical problems is the-train delayed.

    When starting a sentence with this phrase, the verb 'er' comes immediately after the comma/phrase to satisfy the V2 rule.

  4. Han kan ikke komme på grund af sygdom.

    He cannot come because of illness.

    Word by Word: He can not come on ground of illness.

    A common way to state a reason for absence.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'på grund af' directly before a full clause without 'at'.

    Jeg er træt på grund af jeg sov ikke.
    Jeg er træt på grund af at jeg ikke sov.

    While 'på grund af' usually takes a noun, it needs the word 'at' to function as a conjunction for a full clause. Alternatively, you can just use fordi.

  • Writing the phrase as one word.

    pægrundaf
    på grund af

    In Danish, this is always written as three separate words.

  • Using the wrong preposition (e.g., 'af grund af').

    af grund af vejret
    på grund af vejret

    The expression is fixed with the preposition 'på'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

på grund afLevel 3Because of (På Grund Af)

Learn This First

To understand 'på grund af', you need to be familiar with the basic prepositions 'på' and 'af' which form the structure of the phrase. Additionally, knowing how to express reasons using 'fordi' helps you understand when to use 'på grund af' as its prepositional counterpart before nouns or pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

på grund afgrund