Post by moon125 on Nov 4, 2024 3:13:29 GMT -5
How to say Why , Why , Why and Because in Spanish?
The correct use of porques in Spanish is also a common issue in Portuguese.
As we know, there are also four different “porcos” in Spanish. And as we are used to, the four “porcos” are used in different circumstances.
For Portuguese speakers, however, learning how these words work has an advantage: the fundamental rule for differentiating them is practically the same .
Understand, then, below, how to correctly translate and use the terms why, why, why and why in Spanish (the 4 whys).
why in spanish
Why – asking questions
When to use why? The term por qué in Spanish shopify website design is the equivalent of asking direct questions in the language. In simpler terms, por qué is placed in a question, at the beginning of a sentence.
This expression is formed by joining the preposition por + the pronoun qué .
Why is always used with question marks at the beginning and end of the sentence, as it is used to ask the reason for something.
So, when we want to ask why in Spanish, as in the sentence “ Why don’t you come? ”, we use por qué . -> “ ¿Por qué no vienes? “
Other examples of sentences using why:
“ Why is the store closed? ” -> “Why is the store closed?”
“ Why are you awake so late? ” -> “Why are you awake so late? ”
“ Why did you leave without saying goodbye? ” -> “Why did you leave without saying goodbye?”
Why – the reason, the motive
Porqué in Spanish has the same function in a sentence as the word porque in Portuguese – both are used as nouns.
Thus, porqué is used in Spanish when this term can be replaced by expressions such as “the reason” or “the motive” – that is: for what reason, for what reason. Therefore, the word is preceded by an article – el (porqué), un (porqué), los (porqués).
In the case, for example, of wanting to explain why something happened, this is the correct translation. As in the sentence “ Everything has a reason. ” -> “ Everything has a reason. ”
Other examples of sentences using why:
“ Explain to me the reason for your disappointment. ” -> “Explain to me the reason for your disappointment.”
“ I don’t understand the reason for this conflict. ” -> “I don’t understand the reason for this conflict.”
“ He asked me the reasons for my decision. ” -> “He asked me the reasons for my decision.”
Why – for which; so that
This por que in Spanish must be used when we need to join the preposition por + the relative pronoun que ; or the preposition por + the conjunction que .
The two cases generate different applications. See:
Preposition by + relative pronoun that
In this specific case, it is common to see the term por que combined with an article ( por el que , por la que, por los que, por las que ). Its meaning is similar to “por(a que/qual”.
For example:
“ This is the reason why I didn’t tell you .” -> “This is the reason why I didn’t tell you.”
“ The concert they had waited for was very expensive. ” -> “The concert they had waited for was very expensive.”
Preposition by + conjunction that
In this situation, why in Spanish is it used together with nouns, verbs or adjectives that need a complement. This complement is introduced by the conjunction “que”.
Its meaning, in this case, is similar to the Portuguese expression “para que”.
See the examples below:
“ I hope there is peace in the world. ” -> “I fight for peace in the world.”
“ They are impatient because we are blocking the new project .” -> “They are eager for us to start the new project.”
Why – explaining the cause
Finally, this porque is used in Spanish to answer questions asked with por qué , or to present the reason for something previously stated.
This because corresponds to our portuguese porque , a term that refers to the cause of something.
For example:
“Why didn’t you come yesterday? / Because I was sick. ” -> “Why didn’t you come yesterday? / Because I was sick.”
“ I won’t be at home because I’m going on a trip .” -> “I won’t be at home because I’m going on a trip.”
Summary of the use of why in Spanish
Even though they have identical pronunciations, the 4 whys in Spanish differ in their meaning, use and spelling.
To differentiate them, just remember that:
Why -> formulates a question and is used between question marks;
Why -> is a noun, similar to “the reason” or “the motive” and comes after an article;
Because -> explains a causal relationship;
Why -> used in two ways, indicating: “for what/which” or “so that”.
These, then, are the differences that you need to keep in mind to use the words porque in Spanish correctly.
And if you liked this article, check out other topics in our Spanish Tips category :
List of Numbers in Spanish – Cardinal and Ordinal
The 40 Most Common Spanish False Cognates for Portuguese
CEO & Founder of Essential. Follow me on Instagram for daily English content!
Marco Castello
CEO & Founder of Essential. Follow me on Instagram for daily English content!
The correct use of porques in Spanish is also a common issue in Portuguese.
As we know, there are also four different “porcos” in Spanish. And as we are used to, the four “porcos” are used in different circumstances.
For Portuguese speakers, however, learning how these words work has an advantage: the fundamental rule for differentiating them is practically the same .
Understand, then, below, how to correctly translate and use the terms why, why, why and why in Spanish (the 4 whys).
why in spanish
Why – asking questions
When to use why? The term por qué in Spanish shopify website design is the equivalent of asking direct questions in the language. In simpler terms, por qué is placed in a question, at the beginning of a sentence.
This expression is formed by joining the preposition por + the pronoun qué .
Why is always used with question marks at the beginning and end of the sentence, as it is used to ask the reason for something.
So, when we want to ask why in Spanish, as in the sentence “ Why don’t you come? ”, we use por qué . -> “ ¿Por qué no vienes? “
Other examples of sentences using why:
“ Why is the store closed? ” -> “Why is the store closed?”
“ Why are you awake so late? ” -> “Why are you awake so late? ”
“ Why did you leave without saying goodbye? ” -> “Why did you leave without saying goodbye?”
Why – the reason, the motive
Porqué in Spanish has the same function in a sentence as the word porque in Portuguese – both are used as nouns.
Thus, porqué is used in Spanish when this term can be replaced by expressions such as “the reason” or “the motive” – that is: for what reason, for what reason. Therefore, the word is preceded by an article – el (porqué), un (porqué), los (porqués).
In the case, for example, of wanting to explain why something happened, this is the correct translation. As in the sentence “ Everything has a reason. ” -> “ Everything has a reason. ”
Other examples of sentences using why:
“ Explain to me the reason for your disappointment. ” -> “Explain to me the reason for your disappointment.”
“ I don’t understand the reason for this conflict. ” -> “I don’t understand the reason for this conflict.”
“ He asked me the reasons for my decision. ” -> “He asked me the reasons for my decision.”
Why – for which; so that
This por que in Spanish must be used when we need to join the preposition por + the relative pronoun que ; or the preposition por + the conjunction que .
The two cases generate different applications. See:
Preposition by + relative pronoun that
In this specific case, it is common to see the term por que combined with an article ( por el que , por la que, por los que, por las que ). Its meaning is similar to “por(a que/qual”.
For example:
“ This is the reason why I didn’t tell you .” -> “This is the reason why I didn’t tell you.”
“ The concert they had waited for was very expensive. ” -> “The concert they had waited for was very expensive.”
Preposition by + conjunction that
In this situation, why in Spanish is it used together with nouns, verbs or adjectives that need a complement. This complement is introduced by the conjunction “que”.
Its meaning, in this case, is similar to the Portuguese expression “para que”.
See the examples below:
“ I hope there is peace in the world. ” -> “I fight for peace in the world.”
“ They are impatient because we are blocking the new project .” -> “They are eager for us to start the new project.”
Why – explaining the cause
Finally, this porque is used in Spanish to answer questions asked with por qué , or to present the reason for something previously stated.
This because corresponds to our portuguese porque , a term that refers to the cause of something.
For example:
“Why didn’t you come yesterday? / Because I was sick. ” -> “Why didn’t you come yesterday? / Because I was sick.”
“ I won’t be at home because I’m going on a trip .” -> “I won’t be at home because I’m going on a trip.”
Summary of the use of why in Spanish
Even though they have identical pronunciations, the 4 whys in Spanish differ in their meaning, use and spelling.
To differentiate them, just remember that:
Why -> formulates a question and is used between question marks;
Why -> is a noun, similar to “the reason” or “the motive” and comes after an article;
Because -> explains a causal relationship;
Why -> used in two ways, indicating: “for what/which” or “so that”.
These, then, are the differences that you need to keep in mind to use the words porque in Spanish correctly.
And if you liked this article, check out other topics in our Spanish Tips category :
List of Numbers in Spanish – Cardinal and Ordinal
The 40 Most Common Spanish False Cognates for Portuguese
CEO & Founder of Essential. Follow me on Instagram for daily English content!
Marco Castello
CEO & Founder of Essential. Follow me on Instagram for daily English content!