Assigning Blame with te wijten aan
When something goes wrong, you can assign responsibility using the fixed phrase zijn te wijten aan (to be blamed on / due to). You use this specifically when the outcome is negative, such as a failure, a decrease in profits, or damage caused by carelessness.
| The decrease in revenue is due to your carelessness. | De daling van de omzet is te wijten aan jouw slordigheid. |
| I see in the report why the failure is due to his negligence. | Ik zie in het rapport waarom de mislukking te wijten is aan zijn nalatigheid. |
Giving Credit with te danken aan
For positive outcomes, Dutch uses a completely different phrase: zijn te danken aan (to be owed to / thanks to). Use this when attributing success, recovery, or efficiency to a good decision, hard work, or expertise.
| The patient's quick recovery is thanks to the doctor's expertise. | Het snelle herstel van de patiënt is te danken aan de deskundigheid van de arts. |
| Our efficiency is thanks to a good preparation, not to coincidence. | Onze efficiëntie is te danken aan een goede voorbereiding, niet aan het toeval. |
Choosing Based on the Outcome
Even when the cause itself is neutral—like het toeval (coincidence) or a change in prices—you still must choose between the two phrases based entirely on the result. If the result is a failure, you blame it with te wijten aan. If the result is a recovery, you credit it with te danken aan.
| Was the failure of the project due to coincidence? | Was de mislukking van het project te wijten aan het toeval? |
| The recovery of the economy is thanks to a decrease in prices. | Het herstel van de economie is te danken aan een daling van de prijzen. |
| The success is thanks to the expertise and the efficiency of the team. | Het succes is te danken aan de deskundigheid en de efficiëntie van het team. |