Due to, because (formal): do

due to

Pattern: do + [noun or sentence] · [result] + là do + [cause]

A2 · estimateformal

Do means "because of" or "due to". It's the word you'll see in the news and on notices, where everyday speech would use vì or tại vì: Chuyến bay bị hủy do thời tiết xấu. The flight was cancelled due to bad weather.

Like vì, it goes before a noun or a whole sentence. When the reason comes first, the result starts with nên (so): Do mưa lớn nên nhiều đường bị ngập. Because of the heavy rain, many streets are flooded.

In conversation, do lives on in là do, "it's because of", when you explain what caused something: Em tới trễ là do kẹt xe. I was late because of the traffic. Chắc là do … makes a gentle guess at the cause: Chắc là do anh làm việc nhiều quá. It's probably because you work too much.

Don't confuse it with do before a person and a verb, which says who made or did something: Bài này do chị Lan viết. Lan wrote this article. There, do is followed by the doer, not the reason.

Examples

Highlighted words are what Saigon and Hà Nội say differently.

  • Chuyến bay bị hủy do thời tiết xấu.

    The flight was cancelled due to bad weather.

  • Saigon

    Do mưa lớn nên nhiều đường bị ngập.

    Hà Nội

    Do mưa to nên nhiều đường bị ngập.

    Because of the heavy rain, many streets are flooded.

  • Học sinh được nghỉ học do bão.

    Pupils are off school because of the storm.

  • Giá rau tăng do mưa kéo dài.

    Vegetable prices have gone up due to the prolonged rain.

Words in this pattern

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