¿por qué me ignoras?
In Spanish, "why are you ignoring me?" is said as ¿por qué me ignoras?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone why they are not responding to you or paying attention to you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of por qué (why), me (me) and ignoras (you ignore).
Which one should you use?
While ignorar is a direct translation, the idiomatic expression ¿por qué no me haces caso? is very common when expressing that someone is not paying attention to your presence or your words.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear the regional variation ¿Por qué me estás haciendo el vacío?, which means "Why are you giving me the silent treatment?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes depending on who you are addressing. Use ignoras for an informal singular 'you', ignora with usted for a formal singular 'you' and ignoran to ask why a group of people is ignoring you.
Did you know?
- The word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid, which is also the root of the English word 'quid' used as slang for a British pound.
- In Spanish, the word ignorar can also mean 'to be unaware of' or 'not to know' something, rather than intentionally disregarding someone.
- Depending on the region, someone being ignored might say they are being 'left on seen' using the phrase me dejó en visto, reflecting the influence of digital messaging culture on the language.
Examples in context
- Te he llamado tres veces, ¿por qué me ignoras?I have called you three times, why are you ignoring me?
- No me miras a los ojos, ¿por qué me ignoras?You are not looking me in the eyes, why are you ignoring me?
Example conversation
Elena is upset because Alejandro is not responding to her texts.
- ElenaTe escribí hace horas, ¿por qué me ignoras?I wrote to you hours ago, why are you ignoring me?
- AlejandroLo siento, estaba muy ocupado en el trabajo.I am sorry, I was very busy at work.
- ElenaNo me parece una buena excusa.That doesn't seem like a good excuse to me.
- AlejandroTienes razón, trataré de responderte más rápido.You are right, I will try to respond to you faster.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, por, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
