Whether you are explaining traffic delays or praising new city infrastructure, attributing cause is a key part of everyday conversation. In Arabic, you can express cause using two common prepositional phrases, depending on whether the outcome is neutral/negative or positive.
Stating Causes with بسبب
To say "because of" or "due to," use the phrase بسبب. This is typically used for neutral facts or negative outcomes, like traffic and closures.
Grammatically, بسبب acts as the first word of an Idafa (genitive construct). The noun that immediately follows it is the second part of the Idafa, meaning it will take the genitive case (مجرور).
| The street is crowded due to the repair of the bridge. | الشارع مزدحم بسبب صيانة الجسر.ash-shâri'u muzdahimun bisababi siyânati l-jisri. |
| The driver did not arrive on time due to the closure of the route. | لم يصل السائق في الموعد بسبب إغلاق المسار.lam yasili s-sâ'iqu fil-maw'idi bisababi ighlâqil-masâr. |
Giving Credit with بفضل
When an outcome is positive and you want to give credit, use بفضل (thanks to). Just like the previous phrase, بفضل forms an Idafa with the noun that comes after it.
| Life is better here thanks to the transportation network. | الحياة أفضل هنا بفضل شبكة المواصلات.al-hayâtu afdalu hunâ bifadli shabakati al-muwâsalât |
| The woman succeeded in the project thanks to the planning of the urban center. | نجحت المرأة في المشروع بفضل تخطيط المركز العمراني.najahatil mar'atu fil mashrou'i bifadli takhtiti al-markazi al-'umrani |
Building "Chain" Idafas
In discussions about urban planning or commuting, the cause is rarely a single word. You will often need to link multiple concepts, such as "the maintenance of the bridge" or "the planning of the project."
In these situations, بسبب and بفضل simply become the first link in a multiple-word "chain" Idafa. Notice in the following example how both phrases can be used together to contrast blame and credit:
| Success is not due to luck, but rather thanks to the planning of the project. | ليس النجاح بسبب الحظ، بل بفضل تخطيط المشروع.laysa an-najâhu bisababi al-hazzi, bal bifadli takhtîti al-mashrû'i. |