thanks to

thanks to — idiom

1. used to say that a good result happened because someone or something gave useful

1.慣用語B1
釋義

used to say that a good result happened because someone or something gave useful help, and you want to credit them for it

例句

Thanks to Nala's careful planning, the school trip ran smoothly from start to finish.

thanks to + person, crediting a good outcome

The garden survived the dry summer thanks to a deep well behind the old barn.

thanks to + thing as the helpful cause

同義詞
  • because of

    neutral cause; does not add the note of credit or gratitude

  • owing to

    more formal; states the cause without the warm, crediting tone

文法句型

thanks to + noun/noun phrase

用法筆記

Subject of credit is usually a person, an action, or a helpful thing that caused something good. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense praises the cause, while sense 2 simply blames or names the cause of an unwanted result.

常見錯誤

❌Thanks for the warm weather, the crops grew well.
✅Thanks to the warm weather, the crops grew well.
💡use 'thanks to' before a cause; 'thanks for' is only for thanking someone directly.

2. used to name the person or thing that caused a result, very often an unwanted on

2.慣用語B1
釋義

used to name the person or thing that caused a result, very often an unwanted one, sometimes said in an annoyed or joking way

例句

Thanks to Ziad's loud snoring, nobody in the tent slept a single hour that night.

ironic blame: thanks to + cause of a bad result

We missed the ferry thanks to a long line of trucks blocking the harbour road.

thanks to + thing causing an unwanted result

同義詞
  • because of

    plain, neutral cause; lacks the ironic or complaining tone

  • due to

    more formal; often follows the verb 'be' rather than fronting a clause

文法句型

thanks to + noun/noun phrase

用法筆記

Often carries a note of complaint or irony, so the cause is usually something the speaker dislikes. Distinguish from sense 1, which credits a helpful cause for a good result.

常見錯誤

❌Thank to the rain, the match was stopped.
✅Thanks to the rain, the match was stopped.
💡the phrase always keeps the -s on 'thanks'; 'thank to' is not correct English.