por qué
adverbBeginnerHigh frequency
What does “por qué” mean in English?
why
Example sentences
¿Por qué no vienes?
Why don't you come?
¿Por qué estudias español?
Why do you study Spanish?
No vengo porque estoy enfermo.
I'm not coming because I'm sick.
How to use it
¿Por qué? means 'why?' (literally 'for what'). Two words, accent on qué. Distinct from porque ('because', one word, no accent), porqué (a noun = 'reason'), and por que (rare relative).
Common mistake
Don't merge ¿por qué? into 'porque' in a question. The two-word accented form is the question; the one-word form means 'because'.
Topics
Related Beginner words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish (Butt, Benjamin & Moreira Rodríguez, Routledge), 24.