Breakdown of L'aereo sarà in ritardo a causa di un grave problema.
essere
to be
un
a / an (masculine)
il problema
problem
in
in / made of (material)
Questions & Answers about L'aereo sarà in ritardo a causa di un grave problema.
Why do we use a causa di here instead of per colpa di?
Both phrases mean "because of" or "due to", but per colpa di literally means "through the fault of". You usually use per colpa di to put blame on a person, bad behavior, or a specific mistake. Since a "serious problem" is an unfortunate event rather than someone's direct fault, the more neutral a causa di fits perfectly here.
Problema ends in "-a", so why does it take the masculine article un?
Could I say un problema grave instead of un grave problema?
Yes, both are correct! Placing grave before the noun makes it sound a bit more formal and emphasizes the seriousness of the situation. Placing it after (un problema grave) follows the standard descriptive word order and sounds completely natural in everyday conversation.
Why is "delayed" translated as in ritardo?