Learn to Properly Use the French Expression 'Grâce à'

The French expression grâce à (pronounced "grah sa") is a common phrase that people use to give credit to someone or something for a positive event or outcome. It is the rough equivalent in English of the phrase "thanks to."

Examples

Read More

How to Use the French Expression 'à Cause de' ('Because of')

By ThoughtCo Team

Like most French grammar you'll use, grâce à is spoken in the normal register, meaning it's used in everyday conversation, neither formal nor informal in tone. You may find yourself saying in any number of situations, such as these:

   Grâce à mon mari, j'ai une idée pour un livre.
   Thanks to my husband, I have an idea for a book.

   Grâce à ton assistance, il a fini le travail.
   Thanks to your help, he finished the work.

   Grâce à Dieu!
   Thank God!

Variations

You can also modify this phrase to say "it's thanks to..." by placing the word c'est in front of grâce à:

   S'il a réussi à l'examen, c'est grâce à toi.
   If he passed the test, it's all thanks to you.

Remember that à followed by the definite article le or les must contract:

   C'est grâce au centre de loisirs que je sais utiliser Facebook.
   It's thanks to the leisure center that I know how to use Facebook.

   Grâce aux conseils de Pierre, nous avons trouvé la maison parfaite.
   Thanks to Pierre's advice, we found the perfect house.

Antonym: To blame someone or something for a negative event or situation, use the expression à cause de.