German Cause & Effect Vocabulary
This set untangles the German words for cause and result, a cluster where English speakers routinely mix things up. Der Grund, die Ursache, and der Auslöser all get translated as "cause" or "reason," but they aren't interchangeable: der Grund is your everyday reason (der Grund für seine Verspätung), die Ursache points to the root cause of a problem or accident, and der Auslöser is the specific trigger that set something off. On the effect side, die Folge, die Auswirkung, and der Effekt overlap in translation but not in use, so this list is really about learning which word fits which situation.
Learn these 15 words
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All 15 words
to cause
Der Sturm verursachte großen Schaden in der Stadt. — The storm caused great damage in the city.
- abhängenB1
depend on
Vielleicht bleiben wir ein paar Tage länger, das hängt vom Wetter ab. — Maybe we'll stay a couple of days longer; that depends on the weather.
plural: die Anlässe
occasion, cause
Das war der Anlass für unseren Streit. — That was the cause of our argument.
- aufgrundB1
due to, because of
Aufgrund des schlechten Wetters fiel das Spiel aus. — Due to bad weather, the game was cancelled.
- dadurchB1
as a result, thereby
Er lernte viel, dadurch bestand er die Prüfung. — He studied a lot, thereby passing the exam.
plural: die Ergebnisse
result, outcome
Ein so gutes Ergebnis hat uns alle überrascht. — Such a good result surprised us all.
consequence, episode
Die Folgen des Unfalls waren schlimm. — The consequences of the accident were serious.
plural: die Gründe
reason, ground
Sie haben Ihre Stelle gekündigt. Aus welchem Grund? — You resigned from your job. For what reason?
plural: die Konsequenzen
consequence
Er muss die Konsequenzen seiner Entscheidung tragen. — He has to bear the consequences of his decision.
plural: die Ursachen
cause, reason
Kennt man schon die Unfallursache? — Is the cause of the accident already known?
plural: die Wirkungen
effect, impact
Welche Wirkungen hat dieses Medikament? Muss ich vorsichtig sein? — What effects does this medicine have? Do I need to be careful?
plural: die Auslöser
a trigger
Der Auslöser des Konflikts war ein Missverständnis. — The trigger of the conflict was a misunderstanding.
plural: die Auswirkungen
impact / effect
Die Auswirkung des Sturms war verheerend. — The impact of the storm was devastating.
plural: die Effekte
effect/impact
Der Effekt dieser Maßnahme war sofort sichtbar. — The effect of this measure was immediately visible.
to result
Der Erfolg resultierte aus harter Arbeit. — The success resulted from hard work.
How to learn this set
Notice that four of these nouns are near-synonyms for "effect/consequence" (die Folge, die Konsequenz, die Auswirkung, der Effekt) and three cover "cause/reason" (der Grund, die Ursache, der Anlass). Instead of drilling them as isolated flashcards, sort them by register: die Folge and die Auswirkung show up in news and reports, der Effekt is more casual or technical, and die Konsequenz often implies a consequence you have to face or accept. For the verbs, verursachen literally has ursache buried in it, so once you know die Ursache, the verb is free. Practice aufgrund and dadurch in sentence pairs, since one introduces a cause and the other introduces a result, and mixing up their position in a sentence is a common beginner error.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between der Grund and die Ursache?
Der Grund is the general word for a reason, used in everyday speech (der Grund für seine Entscheidung). Die Ursache is more specific and formal, pointing to the root cause of a problem, accident, or illness, and is common in news reports and medical contexts.
Is die Folge the same as die Konsequenz?
They overlap but aren't identical. Die Folge is a neutral consequence or result that simply follows from something (also the word for a TV episode), while die Konsequenz often carries a sense of accountability, as in facing the consequences of one's actions.
How do I use aufgrund and dadurch correctly?
Aufgrund introduces the cause and is followed by a noun in the genitive or a von-phrase, as in aufgrund des Wetters. Dadurch points to the result and typically starts a new clause, as in Es regnete stark, dadurch verspätete sich der Zug.
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