Causal clauses and causal phrases
In short
Giving a reason
| reason is | word | example |
|---|---|---|
| a clause | jer (never first) | Ne radim jer sam bolestan. |
| a clause | zato što (may go first) | Zato što sam bolestan, ne radim. |
| a noun | zbog + genitive | Ne radim zbog bolesti. |
zato alone = that's why (result, not reason): Bio sam bolestan, zato nisam došao.
zbog kiše · zbog posla · zbog gužve · zbog lošeg vremena
A2 · Lesson 37 · Saying why: jer, zato što and zbog
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
Someone asks you Zašto? — Why? You now have to give a reason, and Serbian gives you two ways to do it. Either you say a whole sentence back (because I was working), or you name a single thing (because of work). Serbian keeps these two strictly apart: a clause takes jer or zato što, a bare noun takes zbog.
jer — because, added on
jer is the everyday word. It attaches a full clause with its own verb to something you have just said. Word order after it is completely ordinary — subject, verb, the rest, exactly as if the clause stood alone.
- Ne mogu da dođem jer radim. — I can't come because I'm working.
- Kasnim jer nema autobusa. — I'm late because there's no bus.
jer can never open a sentence. There must be something in front of it for it to attach to. Jer sam bio bolestan, nisam došao is wrong. If the reason has to come first, use zato što.
zato što — because, and it can go first
zato što means the same thing and is built out of two words you already know: zato (for that reason) plus što (what). Because it starts with a stressed word, it is free to stand at the beginning of the sentence, where jer cannot.
| reason second | reason first | |
|---|---|---|
| jer | Nisam došao jer sam bio bolestan. | — not possible — |
| zato što | Nisam došao zato što sam bio bolestan. | Zato što sam bio bolestan, nisam došao. |
zato što is also the normal way to answer a bare Zašto?, because there is nothing for jer to hang on to:
- — Zašto nisi došao na posao? — Zato što sam bio bolestan.
zato on its own — that's why
Drop the što and zato points the other way round. It no longer introduces the reason; it introduces the result. Compare: Bio sam bolestan, zato nisam došao. — I was ill, that's why I didn't come.
zbog + genitive — because of a thing
When the reason is not a whole clause but a single thing — the rain, the traffic, work, an illness — you use the preposition zbog, and like every preposition of cause it puts its noun in the genitive.
| nominative | after zbog (genitive) | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kiša | zbog kiše | because of the rain |
| gužva | zbog gužve | because of the traffic |
| posao | zbog posla | because of work |
| bolest | zbog bolesti | because of illness |
| deca | zbog dece | because of the children |
| moj sin | zbog mog sina | because of my son |
An adjective in front of the noun goes into the genitive too, exactly as you learnt it: zbog lošeg vremena — because of the bad weather, zbog velike gužve — because of the heavy traffic.
Choosing between them
The choice is purely mechanical: count the verbs in your reason.
| your reason is | use | example |
|---|---|---|
| a clause (it has a verb) | jer / zato što | Nisam došao jer je padala kiša. |
| a noun (no verb) | zbog + genitive | Nisam došao zbog kiše. |
Never put a clause after zbog. Zbog sam bio bolestan is not Serbian — zbog must be followed by a noun or pronoun in the genitive. And never put a bare noun after jer: jer kiša is not a reason, it is half a sentence.
Check what you read
6 of the 13 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Ne dolazim na posao ___ sam bolestan.
___ sam izgubio ključeve, zakasnio sam na posao.
Nisam došao ___ kiše.
Zakasnio sam zbog(gužva) u saobraćaju.
Ne idem na more zbog(posao).
Nije došla na posao zbog(bolest).
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Kasnim jer nema autobusa.
I'm late because there's no bus.
Zato što nemamo dovoljno radnika, projekat kasni.
Because we don't have enough workers, the project is running late.
Nisam došao zato što sam bio bolestan.
I didn't come because I was ill. (man speaking)
Ne mogu da dođem jer radim.
I can't come because I'm working.
Nisam došao jer je padala kiša.
I didn't come because it was raining. (man speaking)
Bio sam bolestan, zato nisam došao.
I was ill, that's why I didn't come. (man speaking)
Nisam poslao izveštaj jer nemam sve podatke.
I haven't sent the report because I don't have all the data. (man speaking)
Moramo da požurimo jer nas čeka klijent.
We have to hurry because a client is waiting for us.
Zvao sam šeficu jer ću zakasniti na sastanak.
I called the boss because I'm going to be late for the meeting. (man speaking; a female boss)
Ostajem kod kuće zato što mi je ćerka bolesna.
I'm staying at home because my daughter is ill.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 36
Try it yourself
Translate a sentence that uses this rule. The check marks the word that went wrong and names the rule behind it, as in the app.
Sentences
Write it in Serbian
I'm late because there's no bus.