Introduction
The Portuguese expression por causa de is essential for expressing cause and reason in everyday Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains when and how to use por causa de, compares it with similar connectors, and shows clear example sentences to help beginner and intermediate learners use it naturally.
- What does por causa de mean?
- Using articles and contractions with por causa de
- Por causa de vs. other cause connectors
- How to form negative and positive contexts
- Position in a sentence
- Common verbs and phrases used with por causa de
- Using por causa de with verbs: turning verbs into nouns
- Pronunciation and natural speech notes
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Examples in real-life contexts
- Regional and cultural notes
- Quick reference summary
- Conclusion
What does por causa de mean?
Por causa de means because of, due to, or owing to in English. It introduces the cause or reason for an action, situation, or feeling. Use it when you want to point out a cause that often has a neutral or negative connotation, though context determines nuance.
Structure and word order
The basic structure is:
por causa de + noun or pronoun
Examples:
por causa do trânsito
por causa da chuva
por causa deles
Note that por causa de requires the preposition de before a noun or pronoun. When followed by definite articles or contractions, Portuguese combines preposition and article: de + o = do, de + a = da, de + os = dos, de + as = das.
Using articles and contractions with por causa de
When the noun is definite, use the contraction with the article:
por causa do atraso (because of the delay)
por causa da chuva (because of the rain)
When the noun is indefinite or a bare noun, no contraction with an article is necessary:
por causa de chuva intensa (this phrase is less common; usually you would include the article: por causa da chuva intensa)
por causa de problemas pessoais
With pronouns, keep de + pronoun without contraction for most pronouns, but for third-person possessive pronouns with articles you may see contractions:
por causa de mim
por causa de você
por causa deles
por causa do amigo dele
Por causa de vs. other cause connectors
Portuguese has several expressions to indicate cause or reason. Understanding differences helps choose the right one.
por causa de vs. porque
porque is a conjunction that introduces a clause and gives a direct reason. It is equivalent to because. Use porque before a verb clause.
Examples:
Eu fiquei em casa porque estava cansado. (I stayed home because I was tired.)
By contrast, por causa de is followed by a noun or pronoun:
Eu fiquei em casa por causa do cansaço. (I stayed home because of the tiredness.)
por causa de vs. devido a / por culpa de
devido a is more formal and often used in written language. It has a neutral tone. por culpa de implies blame and is more negative.
Examples:
O voo foi cancelado devido ao mau tempo. (The flight was canceled due to bad weather.)
O voo foi cancelado por culpa da companhia aérea. (The flight was canceled because of the airline’s fault.)
Por causa de sits between these: it is widely used in speech and writing and carries a neutral-to-negative shade depending on context.
How to form negative and positive contexts
Por causa de can be used with positive, neutral, or negative causes. The meaning depends on the noun that follows.
Positive cause example:
Ela viajou por causa de um convite especial. (She traveled because of a special invitation.)
Neutral cause example:
Ele saiu mais cedo por causa do compromisso. (He left early because of the appointment.)
Negative cause example:
O jogo foi interrompido por causa da chuva. (The game was interrupted because of the rain.)
Position in a sentence
Por causa de can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Moving it changes emphasis but not the core meaning.
Beginning (focus on cause):
Por causa do engarrafamento, cheguei atrasado. (Because of the traffic jam, I arrived late.)
Middle (neutral):
Eu, por causa do engarrafamento, cheguei atrasado. (I, because of the traffic jam, arrived late.)
End (emphasis on result):
Eu cheguei atrasado por causa do engarrafamento. (I arrived late because of the traffic jam.)
Common verbs and phrases used with por causa de
Many verbs and expressions pair naturally with por causa de. Here are frequent combinations and translations to build familiarity:
cancelar / ser cancelado por causa de
atrasar / chegar atrasado por causa de
interromper / parar por causa de
ficar em casa por causa de
chorar por causa de
Examples:
A aula foi cancelada por causa da greve. (The class was canceled because of the strike.)
Chegamos atrasados por causa do trânsito. (We arrived late because of the traffic.)
Using por causa de with verbs: turning verbs into nouns
When you need to express cause related to an action, you often nominalize the verb (use a noun form) after por causa de. Use infinitive nouns or verbal nouns when appropriate.
Examples:
por causa da falta de dormir (less natural)
por causa do sono (because of the sleepiness) — more natural
Better: use nouns or expressions like:
por causa do barulho
por causa do acidente
por causa do estudo
Pronunciation and natural speech notes
In Brazilian Portuguese speech, por causa de is often contracted or run together, especially in fast speech. Sounds can blend: por causa de -> por causa d’.
Listen for these features:
por causa do -> [poɾ ˈkawzɐ du]
por causa da -> [poɾ ˈkawzɐ da]
In casual conversations, speakers might use simpler alternatives like porque or devido a depending on context, but por causa de remains common and clear.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
1. Forgetting the preposition de: Incorrect: por causa o trânsito. Correct: por causa do trânsito.
2. Using porque with a noun: Incorrect: fiquei em casa porque frio. Correct: fiquei em casa por causa do frio or fiquei em casa porque estava frio.
3. Using por culpa de when not implying blame: If you don’t want to assign blame, prefer por causa de or devido a instead of por culpa de.
4. Mixing formal and informal registers: For formal writing, consider devido a; for everyday speech, por causa de is fine.
Examples in real-life contexts
Everyday conversation:
Não pude ir à festa por causa do trabalho. (I couldn’t go to the party because of work.)
News or formal writing:
O evento foi adiado devido ao mau tempo. (The event was postponed due to bad weather.)
Explaining emotions or personal reasons:
Ela está triste por causa do término. (She is sad because of the breakup.)
Giving an excuse or practical reason:
Vamos sair mais tarde por causa do trânsito. (We will leave later because of the traffic.)
Regional and cultural notes
In Brazil, por causa de is very common across regions and social groups. Speakers of all ages use it. In some formal contexts, especially written documents or news, you will see devido a more often. Informal spoken Brazilian Portuguese favors por causa de for most everyday causes.
Cultural tip: when giving reasons socially, be mindful of tone. Using por causa de plus neutral nouns is polite; using por culpa de may sound accusatory. For example, saying O atraso foi por causa do trânsito is neutral, while O atraso foi por culpa do motorista implies blame.
Quick reference summary
Meaning: por causa de = because of / due to.
Use: before nouns or pronouns to indicate cause.
Form: por causa de + noun/pronoun, with contractions do/da/dos/das when needed.
Alternatives: porque (before verbs), devido a (formal), por culpa de (blame).
Remember these patterns:
Eu não fui por causa da chuva. (I didn’t go because of the rain.)
Ele perdeu a chance por causa da prova ruim. (He missed the opportunity because of the bad test.)
Por causa do preço, decidimos esperar. (Because of the price, we decided to wait.)
Conclusion
Por causa de is a versatile, widely used expression in Brazilian Portuguese for indicating cause. It pairs with nouns and pronouns, uses contractions with articles, and contrasts with connectors like porque and devido a. Practice recognizing and using it in common phrases to sound natural and accurate when explaining reasons in Portuguese.
