Explaining why with perché
To explain the reason for an event, the most common conjunction is perché (because). It connects the main action to its cause and goes in the middle of a sentence.
| The train is late because there is a strike. | Il treno è in ritardo perché c'è uno sciopero. |
| Maria is absent because she got sick yesterday. | Maria è assente perché si è ammalata ieri. |
Leading with the cause using siccome
If you want to state the cause before the result, use siccome (since / seeing as) at the beginning of the sentence. While English sentences often start with "because," Italian strongly prefers siccome to establish a cause upfront.
| Since there is a sudden strike, I am not going to work. | Siccome c'è uno sciopero improvviso, non vado a lavorare. |
| Since the student has the flu, he has been absent for a week. | Siccome lo studente ha l'influenza, è assente da una settimana. |
Dealing with illness and changing plans
Whether you are treating a cough or proposing an alternative to a canceled flight, the structural rule remains the same: siccome goes at the front, and perché goes in the middle.
| Since I have a cough and a cold, I am going to the doctor. | Siccome ho la tosse e il raffreddore, vado dal medico. |
| I propose this alternative to you because they canceled the other flight. | Ti propongo questa alternativa perché hanno cancellato l'altro volo. |
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