כי / בגלל / לכן

Because and Therefore

Level 3

כי introduces a reason clause, בגלל introduces a cause noun phrase, and לכן introduces a result. They express different directions in the explanation.

How It Works

Cause as a Clause

Use כי before a complete reason statement: כי הייתי עייף. Other reason connectors include מפני ש and משום ש. The reason clause has its own subject and verb or other predicate.

Cause as a Noun Phrase

בגלל הגשם and בגלל העבודה name causes with noun phrases. בגלל ש is also encountered in contemporary usage; recognition of that construction does not make בגלל followed directly by a bare finite clause the basic noun-phrase pattern.

A Result

לכן means therefore or so and points to the consequence: הייתי עייף, לכן הלכתי לישון. It does not mean because. Choose the connector after deciding which event explains the other. A sentence can put its reason first or later, provided the logical direction remains clear.

Examples (4)

  1. נשארתי בבית כי ירד גשם.

    I stayed at home because it rained.

    כי introduces a reason clause.

  2. נשארתי בבית בגלל הגשם.

    I stayed at home because of the rain.

    בגלל introduces a noun phrase.

  3. ירד גשם, לכן נשארתי בבית.

    It rained, so I stayed at home.

    לכן introduces the consequence.

  4. מפני שהייתי עייפה, הלכתי לישון מוקדם.

    Because I was tired, I went to sleep early.

    The reason can precede the result.

Common Mistakes

  • Using בגלל directly before a finite clause without a clause connector.

    נשארתי בבית בגלל ירד גשם.
    נשארתי בבית כי ירד גשם.

    Use כי for the complete clause, or בגלל הגשם for a noun phrase.

How It Connects

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

כי / בגלל / לכןLevel 3Because and Therefore

Learn This First

Distinguish the stated cause from the resulting statement.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.