perché
/perˈke/
The English phrase 'why' is translated into Italian as perché.
perché is an interrogative adverb used to ask for what reason something is happening. It can also function as a noun meaning 'the reason'.
Meaning: (interrogative) for what reason (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The word perché is a compound of the preposition per (for) and the relative pronoun ché (which/that), literally meaning 'for which (reason)'.
Which one should you use?
Note that perché is used for both the question 'why' and the answer 'because'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When perché is used as a noun meaning 'the reason', it is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/perˈke/
Did you know?
- The word perché shares a common ancestor with the French 'pourquoi' and Spanish 'porque', as they all evolved from a similar structure in Vulgar Latin.
- Italian has a specific way of asking 'why' when the speaker is annoyed by the reason, often using the phrasing ma perché to add a sense of frustration or insistence.
- When asking 'why' in Italian, you do not always need to change the word order of the sentence as you would in English. You can often place perché at the start or even at the end of a sentence for emphasis.
Examples in context
- Perché è a casa?Why are you home?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is at home using perché.Tatoeba #2009205 by Guybrush88, translation #1886530 by CK
- So perché è qui.I know why you're here.This sentence shows how to use perché in a statement meaning 'why'.Tatoeba #2347422 by Guybrush88, translation #2243488 by Hybrid
- Perché non è lì?Why aren't you there?This sentence uses perché to ask why someone is not there.Tatoeba #3571789 by Guybrush88, translation #2646702 by CK
- Per quale motivo hai preso questa decisione?For what reason did you make this decision?
- Come mai non sei venuto alla festa?How come you didn't come to the party?
- Perché non hai chiamato prima?Why didn't you call earlier?
- 14576 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are talking about a canceled plan.
- GiuliaPerché non vieni alla festa?Why are you not coming to the party?
- MatteoPerché devo lavorare fino a tardi.Because I have to work late.
- GiuliaMa perché proprio stasera?But why specifically tonight?
- MatteoPerché c'è una scadenza urgente.Because there is an urgent deadline.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries perché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perché, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
