из-за vs из-под

iz-za vs iz-pod — from behind/because of vs from under/out of

What it really means

Из-за takes the genitive and marks movement or emergence from behind, or a cause, often an undesirable one. Из-под also takes the genitive but means from under something or from the area formerly occupied by it. Both compound prepositions require a hyphen.

Examples in natural speech

Солнце вышло из-за туч.
The sun came out from behind the clouds.
Мы опоздали из-за пробки.
We were late because of a traffic jam.
Кошка вылезла из-под стола.
The cat crawled out from under the table.
Достань книгу из-под подушки.
Take the book from under the pillow.
Из-за дождя матч отменили.
The match was cancelled because of rain.

Common mistakes

Use genitive after both: из-за дождя, из-под стола. Do not write из за or из под, and do not use из-под for abstract causes; «из-за ошибки» is correct.

Memory tip

За hides behind; под hides underneath—and из tells you where something emerges from.

Frequently asked questions

Can из-за express a positive cause?

It can, but it often carries an unwanted or blame-like nuance; neutral positive cause is frequently благодаря.

Does из-под always involve literal underneath?

Usually it marks a literal former position, including «из-под контроля» metaphorically meaning “out of control.”

Why is the noun genitive?

These prepositions govern the genitive: «из-за шума» and «из-под крыши», regardless of the noun’s role in English.

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