Han cancelado el vuelo debido a la niebla.

Questions & Answers about Han cancelado el vuelo debido a la niebla.

Why use the present perfect (han cancelado) here instead of the simple past (cancelaron)?
In Spain, the present perfect (han cancelado) is strongly preferred for actions that happened recently or have an immediate, ongoing impact on the present. Since the cancelled flight directly affects the current situation, the present perfect is the most natural choice.
Who does the 'they' in han cancelado refer to if no subject is mentioned?
This is an impersonal use of the third-person plural. In Spanish, when the specific person who performed the action isn't important or is obvious from context (like the airline or airport authorities), you can simply use the 'they' form without a pronoun.
Could I use por instead of debido a to mean 'due to'?
Yes, you could completely replace debido a with por and say por la niebla (because of the fog). Debido a is just a slightly more formal way to express cause, making it perfect for official announcements like flight delays or cancellations.
Does debido change its ending to match the feminine noun la niebla?
No, not in this sentence. When debido a is used as a fixed prepositional phrase meaning 'due to' or 'because of', it never changes its ending. It only changes to match gender and number if you use it as an adjective linked by a verb, such as in the phrase la cancelación fue debida a la niebla.

Learn Han cancelado el vuelo debido a la niebla and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free