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"Gracias a" is a preposition which is often translated as "thanks to", and "debido a" is a phrase which is often translated as "because of". Learn more about the difference between "gracias a" and "debido a" below.
gracias a(
grah
-
syahs
ah
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. thanks to
Ganamos el caso gracias a la aptitud de nuestro abogado en la sala de juicios.We won the case thanks to our lawyer's skill in the courtroom.
b. because of
Aprendí a ser independiente, gracias a mi madre.I learned to be independent because of my mother.
debido a(
deh
-
bee
-
doh
ah
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. because of
Marta trabaja hoy desde casa debido a la huelga de transporte público.Marta is working from home today because of the public transport strike.
b. due to
Algunas carreteras se han cerrado debido a las malas condiciones climáticas.Some roads have been closed due to bad weather conditions.
c. owing to
Hubo un malentendido entre el abogado y su cliente debido a una mala traducción del intérprete.There was a misunderstanding between the attorney and his client owing to a bad translation by the interpreter.
d. on account of
Pedro lleva ya meses sin trabajar debido a una lesión de columna.Pedro has been off work for months now on account of a spinal injury.
