Explaining Reasons with "Zato što"
To explain why a situation happened or to justify a decision, use zato što (because). It connects the main action to the reason behind it.
| I am in a hurry because the traffic is worse today. | U žurbi sam zato što je promet danas gori. |
| We didn't believe him because that is a bad excuse. | Nismo mu vjerovali zato što je to loše opravdanje. |
| The accident happened because he drove too fast. | Nesreća se dogodila zato što je vozio previše brzo. |
Using "Jer" for Causes and Excuses
You will also frequently hear jer. It means the exact same thing as zato što and is used interchangeably to introduce causes or excuses.
| We are late because there was an accident in the traffic. | Kasnimo jer je bila nesreća u prometu. |
| I am not going to work because I have a fever and a cold. | Ne idem na posao jer imam temperaturu i prehladu. |
| Nobody believed me because I do not have a good excuse. | Nitko mi nije vjerovao jer nemam dobro opravdanje. |
Verifying Reasons
When asking questions, you can use either jer or zato što to check if a specific reason is the true cause of an event.
| Was he late because his car broke down? | Je li kasnio jer mu se auto pokvario? |
| Are you angry because your computer broke down? | Jesi li ljut zato što ti se računalo pokvarilo? |
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