Expressing causes in formal contexts
In formal settings like banking or administration, you can use dado que, puesto que, and ya que to explain causes instead of the basic porque (because). Because these conjunctions establish an objective fact, they are followed by the indicative mood.
Dado que (Given that)
Dado que translates to "given that" and lays out a factual premise.
| Given that this branch will close, we are going to open another. | Dado que esta sucursal cerrará, vamos a abrir otra. |
| Given that you did not pay yesterday, they are going to charge you a surcharge. | Dado que usted no abonó ayer, le van a cargar un recargo. |
Puesto que and Ya que (Since)
Puesto que and ya que both mean "since" or "seeing as." You can use them interchangeably to justify an action based on an existing situation.
| Since the manager explained it to him, we will not pay the commission at this branch. | Puesto que el gerente se lo explicó, no pagaremos la comisión en esta sucursal. |
| Since your balance is low, you cannot exceed the limit. | Ya que su saldo es bajo, usted no puede exceder el límite. |
Sentence position
Like in English, you can place these conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence (separating the clauses with a comma) or in the middle.
| Might the client have a default, since his contract is not valid? | ¿Tendrá el cliente un impago, puesto que su contrato no está vigente? |
| The bank charges the commission given that the non-payment exceeds the current balance. | El banco carga la comisión dado que el impago excede el saldo vigente. |
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