по причине vs благодаря

po prichine vs blagodarya — because of/due to vs thanks to

What it really means

По причине takes the genitive and gives a neutral or formal reason, often an obstacle or undesirable circumstance. Благодаря also takes the dative and presents a favorable cause, literally “thanks to.” Choosing it for a bad outcome can sound ironic or stylistically mismatched.

Examples in natural speech

Рейс отменили по причине тумана.
The flight was cancelled because of fog.
По причине болезни он не пришёл.
He did not come due to illness.
Благодаря врачу я выздоровел.
Thanks to the doctor, I recovered.
Мы успели благодаря твоей помощи.
We made it thanks to your help.
По причине ремонта вход закрыт.
The entrance is closed because of repairs.

Common mistakes

Use genitive after по причине and dative after благодаря: по причине дождя, благодаря другу. Reserve благодаря for a positive result unless irony is intended.

Memory tip

Причина names a reason; благодаря points upward in gratitude and governs the dative.

Frequently asked questions

Is по причине more formal than из-за?

Yes, it is common in notices and official prose; everyday speech normally prefers из-за.

Why is «благодаря дождю» strange?

It literally credits rain for a result; it is possible if rain helped, but «из-за дождя» is expected when rain caused trouble.

What case follows благодаря?

The dative: благодаря вам, благодаря хорошей погоде, благодаря совету.

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