This is a practical guide to help you use correctly two connectors: בגלל and בזכות. Why together? Because in a way they are similar – both are used in cause / result sentences. But the meaning is actually opposite.
There’s an interactive exercise waiting for you at the end of the short practical guide. Ready to dive in?
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.
