When explaining why something happened, Italian uses compound prepositions. The phrase you choose depends on whether you are simply stating an objective cause or pointing fingers to assign blame.
Objective causes with "a causa di"
When a delay, cancellation, or problem is due to an external, neutral reason (like bad weather or traffic), use a causa di (due to / because of) followed by a noun or pronoun.
| The plane will be delayed due to a serious problem. | L'aereo sarà in ritardo a causa di un grave problema. |
If the noun following the phrase requires a definite article, the preposition di must combine with it (e.g., di + il = del, di + la = della).
| They canceled the festival because of the bad weather. | Hanno annullato il festival a causa del maltempo. |
Assigning blame with "per colpa di"
When someone or something is at fault for a negative outcome—like a mistake, laziness, or irresponsibility—use per colpa di (literally "through the fault of").
| We will have many problems because of that mistake. | Avremo molti problemi per colpa di quello sbaglio. |
Just like with a causa di, remember to combine di with the definite article if the noun requires one.
| We did not finish the project because of your laziness. | Non abbiamo finito il progetto per colpa della tua pigrizia. |
Contrasting cause and blame
You will often hear these two phrases contrasted when deciding whether a bad outcome was an unavoidable accident or someone's specific fault.
| You are late because of your laziness, not due to the traffic jam! | Sei in ritardo per colpa della tua pigrizia, non a causa dell'ingorgo! |
| Did they lose the match because of Marco or due to the bad weather? | Hanno perso la partita per colpa di Marco o a causa del maltempo? |
