¿pero por qué?
/ˈpeɾo poɾ ˈke/word by word
In Spanish, "but why" is said as ¿pero por qué?
This phrase is used to ask for the reason behind something, often to express confusion or disagreement.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pero (but) and por qué (why/for what reason).
How does it change in a sentence?
When answering the question ¿Pero por qué?, use the single word porque (because) instead of the two-word por qué.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpeɾo poɾ ˈke/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When providing an answer, do not use the two-word por qué. Instead, use the single word porque to mean "because".
Did you know?
- If someone answers ¿pero por qué? with porque sí, they are essentially saying 'just because' to end the conversation.
- While pero is the standard word for 'but', Spanish speakers use sino as a different kind of 'but' when correcting a false statement with a true one.
- The word pero actually traces its roots back to the Latin phrase per hoc, which literally meant 'for this reason' or 'through this'.
Examples in context
- ¿Pero por qué?But why?This sentence shows the basic use of the phrase.Tatoeba #457506 by Shishir, translation #457594 by FeuDRenais
- "Toma todo el dinero." "¿Pero por qué?" "¡Porque te amo, tontito!""Take all the money." "But why?" "Because I love you, silly!"This example demonstrates how to use porque to answer the question ¿pero por qué?Tatoeba #12110183 by Amastan, translation #11471641 by Amastan
- – ¿Podemos ir a la playa hoy? – Pero, ¿por qué? Hace mucho frío.– Can we go to the beach today? – But why? It's very cold.
- – ¿Podría explicar cómo funciona este aparato? – Pero, ¿por qué? No entiendo.– Could you explain how this device works? – But why? I don't understand.
- – No puedo ir a la fiesta. – Pero, ¿por qué razón? Siempre asistes a todas las fiestas.– I can't go to the party. – But why? You always attend all the parties.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are discussing a sudden change in plans.
- SofíaNo podemos ir a la fiesta esta noche.We cannot go to the party tonight.
- Mateo¿Pero por qué? ¡Teníamos muchas ganas!But why? We were looking forward to it!
- SofíaTengo que trabajar hasta tarde hoy.I have to work late today.
- MateoQué lástima, Sofía.That's a pity, Sofia.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (pero, por, qué) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pero, por, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
