בשל / עקב / בזכות

Cause with a Noun Phrase

Level 5

בשל and עקב can mean because of or due to. בזכות commonly means thanks to and gives credit to a helpful cause.

How It Works

A Cause Named by a Noun

בשל מזג האוויר and עקב העבודות name causes. The noun phrase after the preposition supplies the cause: weather in the first phrase and work in the second.

Giving Credit

בזכות can mean thanks to. הצלחתי בזכות העזרה שלך credits your help for the success. This is the positive-cause meaning of בזכות.

A Noun Phrase or a Clause

Compare הטיסה נדחתה בשל הגשם with הטיסה נדחתה משום שירד גשם. הגשם is a noun phrase; ירד גשם is a clause introduced by משום ש־. Keep the construction appropriate to the words that follow it.

Examples (4)

  1. הטיסה נדחתה בשל מזג האוויר.

    The flight was postponed because of the weather.

    בשל introduces the cause noun phrase.

  2. עקב העבודות, הכביש סגור.

    Due to the work, the road is closed.

    עקב is followed by the cause noun העבודות.

  3. הצלחתי בזכות העזרה שלך.

    I succeeded thanks to your help.

    בזכות gives positive credit.

  4. הצלחנו בזכות המתנדבים.

    We succeeded thanks to the volunteers.

    בזכות credits the volunteers for the success.

Common Mistakes

  • Using בשל directly before a bare finite clause.

    הטיסה נדחתה בשל ירד גשם.
    הטיסה נדחתה משום שירד גשם.

    Use a clause connector for the finite clause, or בשל הגשם for a noun phrase.

How It Connects

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

בשל / עקב / בזכותLevel 5Cause with a Noun Phrase

Learn This First

Compare cause expressions while keeping favourable and neutral causal meanings distinct.