på grund av
Because Of/due to
Use 'på grund av' followed by a noun or noun phrase to explain the reason for an event or situation. It's the Swedish equivalent of 'because of' or 'due to'.
How It Works
'På grund av' is a very common and essential phrase for expressing causality in Swedish. It directly translates to 'on account of' or 'due to' and is used to introduce the reason for something.
Structure:
The basic structure is: [Result] + på grund av + [Cause (Noun Phrase)].
For example:
- Flyget blev inställt på grund av dimman. (The flight was cancelled due to the fog.)
Here, 'dimman' (the fog) is the noun phrase that explains the cause of the cancellation.
'På grund av' vs. Conjunctions
It's crucial to distinguish 'på grund av' from conjunctions like eftersom and därför att.
- på grund av can be followed by a noun phrase or by att + clause.
- eftersom / därför att are followed by a clause (a phrase with a subject and a verb).
Compare:
- Jag kom för sent på grund av trafiken. (I was late because of the traffic.) - Noun phrase
- Jag kom för sent eftersom det var mycket trafik. (I was late because there was a lot of traffic.) - Clause
Positive vs. Negative Causes
På grund av is neutral about whether the cause is favourable. To present it explicitly as a welcome contribution, use tack vare ('thanks to').
- Vi vann matchen tack vare vår målvakt. (We won the game thanks to our goalkeeper.)
Sentence Position and Word Order
When 'på grund av' and its noun phrase start a sentence, it functions as the initial adverbial phrase, triggering the verb-second (V2) rule. The verb must come in the second position.
- På grund av regnet stannade vi hemma. (Because of the rain, we stayed home.)
The abbreviation p.g.a. is common in informal written communication like text messages or notes.
Examples (5)
- Flyget är försenat på grund av dåligt väder.
The flight is delayed due to bad weather.
Word by Word: The flight is delayed on ground of bad weather.
- Han kunde inte komma på grund av sjukdom.
He couldn't come because of illness.
Word by Word: He could not come on ground of sickness.
- På grund av strejken var alla tåg inställda.
Because of the strike, all trains were cancelled.
Word by Word: On ground of the strike were all trains cancelled.
When 'på grund av' starts the sentence, the verb ('var') moves to the second position, following the V2 inversion rule.
- Många gator är avstängda på grund av maratonloppet.
Many streets are closed because of the marathon.
Word by Word: Many streets are closed-off on ground of the marathon race.
- Företaget gick i konkurs på grund av dålig ledning.
The company went bankrupt due to poor management.
Word by Word: The company went in bankruptcy on ground of bad leadership.
Common Mistakes
Omitting att before a finite clause after på grund av.
Jag stannade hemma på grund av jag var sjuk.Jag stannade hemma på grund av att jag var sjuk.På grund av accepts an att-clause. You can also say på grund av sjukdom or eftersom jag var sjuk. A noun phrase is not its only complement.
Omitting av from the fixed expression.
Flyget var försenat på grund dimman.Flyget var försenat på grund av dimman.Keep på grund av together. På grund av din hjälp is grammatical even for a good outcome; tack vare din hjälp additionally presents the help as welcome.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'på grund av', you need to be familiar with the basic prepositions 'på' and 'av' which form the frame of this multi-word expression. It functions as a complex preposition used to indicate causality, similar to 'because of' in English.
- påOn/at
The phrase 'på grund av' is a fixed prepositional expression starting with the preposition 'på'.
Level 1 - avOf/by
The phrase 'på grund av' concludes with the preposition 'av', which links the cause to the rest of the sentence.
Level 1 - Genitive case
Understanding how nouns relate to each other is helpful, as 'grund' functions as the noun 'reason/ground' within this fixed causal construction.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- tack vareThanks to
Tack vare normally presents the cause as favourable, though it also has ironic uses. På grund av is neutral and can describe either a good or a bad outcome.
Level 4 - eftersomBecause/since
Compare på grund av regnet, på grund av att det regnar and eftersom det regnar. An att-clause is a possible complement of the preposition.
Level 2 - därför attBecause
Därför att introduces a causal clause. På grund av can introduce a noun phrase or an att-clause, so this is not a simple noun-versus-clause division.
Level 2 - till följd avAs a Result of
Similar Meaning: 'Till följd av' (as a result of) is a more formal alternative to 'på grund av', often used to describe direct consequences.
Level 4 - trotsDespite/in Spite of
Opposite Concept: 'Trots' (despite) introduces a reason not to expect a certain outcome, expressing concession rather than cause.
Level 4 - Verb-second rule
Word Order Implication: When a phrase like 'på grund av...' starts a sentence, it forces the verb into the second position, which is a key aspect of Swedish word order.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice på grund av in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Swedish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
