French connectors

en raison de vs. grâce à vs. comme vs. puisque vs. parce que vs. vu que: how to choose

All six introduce a cause, but split two ways first: en raison de/grâce à take a NOUN (and differ by positive vs. neutral-negative framing); comme/puisque/parce que/vu que take a CLAUSE. Among the clause-taking four, the split isn't about meaning — it's about what the reason is FOR: parce que answers a fresh 'why?' someone just asked (the true default/neutral choice); comme, puisque, and vu que all instead PRESENT a reason as already obvious/visible rather than answering a question, and mostly differ by register and position — puisque and vu que can sit mid-sentence, comme is usually sentence-initial, and vu que leans more spoken/informal than the other two.

The decision: Answering a direct 'why did you...?' question, or is this genuinely new information? → parce que. Presenting a reason as something the listener can already see/already knows, not answering a fresh question? → comme (sentence-initial), puisque or vu que (can go anywhere; vu que = more spoken). First ask, though: do I have a noun or a full clause after the cause? Noun → en raison de (neutral/negative) or grâce à (positive).

The choices at a glance

Choose	When to use it	Pattern and example
en raison de	Formal, neutral-to-negative cause. Takes a NOUN, never a clause.	en raison de + nomLe vol a été annulé en raison du mauvais temps.The flight was cancelled because of the bad weather.
grâce à	The cause is framed as helpful/positive. Takes a NOUN, never a clause.	grâce à + nomElle a réussi grâce à ses efforts.She succeeded thanks to her efforts.
comme	Neutral cause, usually placed BEFORE the result it explains, at the start of the sentence. Takes a full CLAUSE. Same spelling as the comparison word 'comme' ('like/as') — different function entirely, see expr-comme.	comme + propositionComme nous avions partagé la même classe, nous nous sommes remémoré des souvenirs.Since we had been in the same class, we reminisced about old memories.
puisque	The reason is treated as already obvious/known to the listener — can open the sentence or sit mid-sentence. Takes a full CLAUSE.	puisque + propositionPuisque tu es là, aide-moi.Since you're here, help me.
parce que	States the reason directly, answering a fresh 'why?' — the everyday, spoken default. Takes a full CLAUSE.	parce que + propositionJe reste chez moi parce qu'il pleut.I'm staying home because it's raining.
vu que	Same job as comme/puisque (reason treated as an already-visible fact) but slightly more spoken/informal — near-interchangeable with them. Takes a full CLAUSE.	vu que + propositionVu qu'il pleut, on reste à la maison.Given that it's raining, we're staying home.

Common mistakes

✗ En raison de nous avions partagé la même classe, nous nous sommes remémoré des souvenirs de l'école.

✓ Comme nous avions partagé la même classe, nous nous sommes remémoré des souvenirs de l'école.

'En raison de' must be followed by a noun (en raison du mauvais temps) — it can't introduce a verb clause like 'nous avions...'. Swap to 'Comme', 'Puisque', 'Parce que', or 'Vu que', all of which take a full clause.

✗ Il conduit puisque un professionnel.

✓ Il conduit comme un professionnel.

Don't confuse the two 'comme's: this sentence needs the COMPARISON sense ('like/as a professional') — 'puisque' only works for the CAUSE sense and can't substitute here. If you meant a reason, not a comparison, that's when comme/puisque/parce que/vu que become interchangeable candidates.

Practise this decision in FKE

The interactive comparison includes decision practice and links to the related FKE knowledge tools.

Open en raison de vs. grâce à vs. comme vs. puisque vs. parce que vs. vu que in FKE