12.6 Conjunctions of cause


12.6.1 car = since, as
  Il ne pouvait pas venir, car il était malade.
    He could not come, since [as] he was ill.

12.6.2 parce que = because, since, as
  Il ne pouvait pas venir, parce qu' il était malade.
    He could not come, because he was ill.

12.6.3 puisque = since, as
  Il ne pouvait pas venir, puisqu' il était malade.
    Er konnten nicht kommen, weil er krank war.

Puisque and parce que are equal to the English conjunctions since / because. Normally there are no differences between puisque (since, as) and parce que (because of) and they can be used synonymously.

Il ne paye pas, puisqu' il n' a pas d' argent.
  Er zahlt nicht, da er kein Geld hat.
  Il ne paye pas, parce qu' il n' a pas d' argent.
  Er zahlt nicht, weil er kein Geld hat.

However, with since / puisque you refer to something that is already known. And, in case it is important that something is already known, then both conjunctions cannot be used synonymously.

Puisque vous l' avez déjà dit vous-même, tout est clair.
    Since you have already said it yourself, it is all clear.
    not: Parce que vous l' avez déjà dit vous-même, tout est clair.
    not: Because you have already said it yourself, it is all clear.

12.6.4 comme = as
  Comme il n' est pas venu à l' heure, nous sommes partis sans lui.
    As he did not come on time, we have gone without him.
  Comme il n' était pas venu, je croyais qu' il avait eu un accident.
    As he did not come, I thought that he had an accident.

12.6.5 ainsi = hence
  Sa mère mourut à sa naissance, ainsi elle ne l'avait jamais connue
    Her mother died at his birth, hence she has never known her.

12.6.6 non (pas) parce que = not because
  Je l' aime non parce qu' il est riche, mais parce qu' il est très riche.
    They love him, not because he is rich but because he is very rich.

12.6.7 et grâce à = thanks
  Ils ont été très attentifs et grâce à eux je sais qui m' a volé mon argent.
    They were very attentive and thanks to them I know who has stolen my money.

12.6.8 en raison de = due to
  Tout homme persécuté en raison de son action en faveur de la liberté, a droit d'asile sur les territoires de la République.
    Everyone persecuted due to his encouragement for liberty has the right to seek for asylum on the territory of the republic.
  La vie de Beethoven a été tragique en raison de sa maladie aux oreilles qui le rendit sourd dès 1819.
    The live of Beethoven has been tragique due to a sickness of the ears, which made him become deaf from 1819 on.

12.6.9 c'est pourquoi = therefore
  Je l'aime et c'est pourquoi je suis retourné avec elle.
    I love here and therefore I have returned with her.






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