Translation of German word "wegen" to English
wegen
/vaːɡn/
Meaning
PrepositionPreposition governing the genitive case (colloquially dative) meaning 'because of / due to'.
How to use
The preposition wegen ('because of / due to') requires the genitive case (wegen des Wetters — because of the weather). In spoken German, the dative is highly common (wegen dem Wetter). Grammatically, wegen can be placed before the noun (wegen des Unfalls) or after it (des Unfalls wegen). When combined with personal pronouns, it merges into pronominal forms like meinetwegen ('because of me / as far as I'm concerned / fine by me').
🇬🇧 English
because of / on account of
Example
Ich bin krank wegen der Grippe.
I am sick because of the flu.
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Common phrases
- meinetwegen— meinetwegen / deinetwegen (pronominal forms, e.g. 'because of you')
- wegen des Wetters— because of the weather (genitive)
- von Rechts wegen— by rights / legally speaking (idiom)
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📖 Related grammar
Frequency rank: #104 in German
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the definition of the German word "wegen"?▼
The German word "wegen" is defined as: "Preposition governing the genitive case (colloquially dative) meaning 'because of / due to'."
What does the German word "wegen" mean?▼
The German word "wegen" means "because of / on account of" in English.
How do you pronounce the German word "wegen"?▼
You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "wegen" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.
Can I see an example sentence with "wegen"?▼
Yes, here is a practical example: "Ich bin krank wegen der Grippe." (which translates as "I am sick because of the flu.").
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