Why in Spanish | How to Ask & Explain
How you translate why in Spanish depends on if you are asking a question or giving an explanation.
To ask why in Spanish, you’d usually use “¿Por qué?” or “¿Para qué?” depending on the question you’re asking.
Ways to explain why in Spanish include:
- Porque
- Para que
- Por esta razón
- Por lo cual
- Por ese sentido
- Por eso
- Por ese motivo
- Con ese objetivo
- A fin de que
How to ask why in Spanish
When you ask why in Spanish, you’ll always use the interrogative “qué,” which translates literally as “what.” To transform this into why, you’ll have to add one of two prepositions—“por” (“for” or “because of”) or “para” (“for” or “in order to”).
¿Por qué?
Por qué (pronounced pohr keh) is one way to ask why in Spanish. It’s used to ask about the reason or cause behind something. It seeks an explanation for why something is the way it is.
¿Por qué estás triste, Michael? [Why are you sad, Michael?]
¿Por qué no vas a la fiesta? [Why aren’t you going to the party?]
¿Para qué?
Para qué (pronounced pah-rah keh) is another way to ask why in Spanish. It’s used to ask about the purpose or goal of something. It seeks to understand the intention behind an action.
If you translate para qué literally to English, it could mean “why,” “what for,” or “for what reason.”
¿Para qué vas al gimnasio? [Why do you go to the gym?]
¿Para qué sirve este botón? [What is this button for?]
How to say why in Spanish
The most common ways to say why in Spanish are porque and para que, although other options exist.
Porque
Porque (pronounced pohr-keh) means “because” and is used to give a reason or explanation for something. It answers the question “¿Por qué?”
Porque and “por qué” are essentially homophones, though there is a difference in which syllable is stressed in each word.
Natalie: No salgo porque me siento enferma. [I’m not going out because I feel sick.]
Teacher: ¿Por qué no tienes los deberes? [Why don’t you have your homework?]
Student: ¡No los tengo porque mi perro se los comió! [I don’t have them because my dog ate them!]
For example, por qué is the interrogative “why,” por que is a prepositional phrase that means “for which,” porque is a subordinating conjunction that means “because,” and el porqué is a noun meaning “the reason.”
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you’ve placed accent marks correctly based on the meaning in your sentences.
Para que
Para que (pronounced pah-rah keh) is used to explain the purpose or goal of an action, similar to “so that” or “in order to” in English. It answers the question “¿Para qué?”
It’s typically followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood. “¿Para qué?” and para que are the same except for the stress on the second word.
Student B: Estudio tanto para que apruebe el examen. [I study so much in order to pass the exam.]
Jenny: ¿Para qué quieres ir a España? [Why do you want to go to Spain?]
George: Quiero ir a España para que pueda probar una paella auténtica. [I want to go to Spain so that I can try an authentic paella.]
Por esta razón
Por esta razón (pronounced pohr ehs-stah rah-zohn) is used to introduce a cause or explanation, much like “for this reason” in English. It’s a more formal way to explain something.
Mi hermano tiene dislexia. Por esta razón lee más lento. [My brother has dyslexia. For this reason, he reads more slowly.]
Por lo cual
Por lo cual (pronounced pohr loh kwahl) is often used formally to indicate a consequence of something mentioned earlier. In English it translates literally as “for which,” though a closer meaning would be “therefore” or “which is why.”
Había una sequía en el Sur, por lo cual el precio del aceite de oliva ha subido. [There was a drought in the South, which is why the price of olive oil has gone up.]
Por ese sentido
Por ese sentido (pronounced pohr eh-seh sehn-tee-doh] is another way to say why in Spanish. It translates as “in that sense” but can also mean “that’s why” or “for this reason.”
Hemos tenido muchas ideas nuevas, y por ese sentido creo que la reunión ha sido útil. [We’ve had a lot of new ideas, and in that sense, I think the meeting was useful.]
Por eso
Por eso (pronounced pohr eh-soh) is an informal way to say why in Spanish. Its direct translation is “for that,” but the meaning is “that’s why” or “for that reason.”
Han entrenado un montón. Por eso han ganado la partida. [They’ve trained loads. That’s why they won the match.]
Por ese motivo
Por ese motivo (pronounced pohr eh-seh moh-tee-voh) literally means “for that motive.” It’s another way to express why in Spanish when you want to emphasize the cause of something.
Jack debía dinero a varias personas. Por ese motivo, robó. [Jack owed various people money. For that motive, he stole.]
Con ese objetivo
Con ese objetivo (pronounced kohn eh-seh ohb-heh-tee-voh) means “with that objective” or “with that goal.” It’s used to explain why a certain action is being done.
Nina quiere sacar un 100 en el examen, y con ese objetivo, va a estudiar todo el finde. [Nina wants to get a 100 on the exam, and with that goal, she’s going to study all weekend.]
A fin de que
A fin de que (pronounced ah fihn deh keh) is another way to say why in Spanish. It expresses purpose, similar to “in order that” or “so that” in English. Literally, it translates as “to the end that.” It’s typically followed by the subjunctive mood.
A fin de que no se nos olvide nada, hicimos una lista de tareas. [In order that we don’t forget anything, we made a to-do list.]
To express why in Spanish with this meaning, you can use anda (pronounced ahn-dah), toma (toh-mah) or vamos (vah-mohs).
For example:
- ¡Toma! ¡He ganado la lotería! [Why, I’ve won the lottery!]
- ¡Vamos, es facil! [Why, it’s easy!]
- ¡Anda, estás aquí! [Why, you’re here!]
Frequently asked questions about why in Spanish
- How do you say why not both in Spanish?
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To say “why not both” in Spanish, say “¿Por qué no los dos?” or “¿Por qué no ambos?”
“Por qué” means why in Spanish. Literally, “ambos” means “both,” and “los dos” means “the two.” But both phrases express “why not both” in Spanish.
QuillBot’s free Translator can help you translate phrases like “why not both” from English to Spanish.
- How do you say who, what, where, when, and why in Spanish?
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“Who” in Spanish is “quién,” “what” is “qué,” “where” is “dónde,” “when” is “cuándo,” and “why” in Spanish is “por qué.”
These options are interrogatives. If you want to use these words as relative pronouns, remove the accent marks.
For example, to ask “Where are you?” in Spanish, use “¿Dónde estás?” But if you want to say “Here is where you are now,” use “Aquí es donde estás ahora.”
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you’re using these words correctly in context.
- How do you say but why in Spanish?
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To say “but why” in Spanish, say “Pero, ¿por qué?”
“Pero” is “but,” and “por qué” is why in Spanish.
QuillBot’s free Translator can help you translate phrases like this to Spanish and other languages.
- Is it porque or por que?
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In Spanish, “porque” is a subordinating conjunction and means “because” and “por que” is a prepositional phrase that means “for which.”
These are also different from “por qué” and “porqué.”“Por qué” is an interrogative used to ask why in Spanish. “El porqué” is a noun meaning “the reason.”
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you’re using the right word in the right places.
