בגלל vs בזכות
Both בגלל and בזכות explain why something happened. Grammatically, they work the same way. But the meaning — and the feeling — is completely different.
בגלל on its own is neutral – it simply states a cause. בגלל הגשם לא יצאנו לטיול. no blame, just a reason.
But when used with a pronoun – בגללך, בגללי, בגללו – it carries blame. The pronoun turns it personal.
בזכות points to a cause that is positive – something or someone that deserves credit.
Examples
בגללך לא הגענו בזמן.
It’s because of you that we didn’t arrive on time. ← blame
בגללו הפסדנו את החוזה.
Because of him we lost the contract.
בזכותך הצלחנו.
It’s thanks to you that we succeeded. ← credit
בזכותך קיבלתי את העבודה.
It’s thanks to you that I got the job.
Full Declension Table
| Pronoun | בגלל | בזכות |
|---|---|---|
| because of me / thanks to me | בִּגְלָלִי | בִּזְכוּתִי |
| because of you (m.) / thanks to you | בִּגְלָלְךָ | בִּזְכוּתְךָ |
| because of you (f.) / thanks to you | בִּגְלָלֵךְ | בִּזְכוּתֵךְ |
| because of him / thanks to him | בִּגְלָלוֹ | בִּזְכוּתוֹ |
| because of her / thanks to her | בִּגְלָלָהּ | בִּזְכוּתָהּ |
| because of us / thanks to us | בִּגְלָלֵנוּ | בִּזְכוּתֵנוּ |
| because of you (pl.) / thanks to you | בִּגְלַלְכֶם | בִּזְכוּתְכֶם |
| because of them (m.) / thanks to them | בִּגְלָלָם | בִּזְכוּתָם |
| because of them (f.) / thanks to them | בִּגְלָלָן | בִּזְכוּתָן |
Let’s practice it!
Part 1 — Choose the right form
בגלל or בזכות — and with the right pronoun.
Part 2 — Write the answer
Type the correct form of בגלל or בזכות.
Want to practice some more?
Here’s a link to the first part of the Connector Guide series.
