Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| چرا | čerâ | /ˈt͡ʃi.raː/ (Classical Persian) |
| برای چی | barâye či | |
| برای چه | barâye če | [bæɾɑ jɛ t͡ʃɛ] (Iran, narrow) |
The word چرا is the most common and straightforward way to express "why" in Persian. You can also use the phrases برای چی and برای چه to ask for a reason or purpose.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase برای چی is a literal construction consisting of barâye (for) and či (what).
Which one should you use?
چرا is the standard, most common way to say "why", whereas برای چی and برای چه are more colloquial or emphasize the purpose or reason.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
برای چی is a popular and informal way to ask "why" in everyday Persian conversation and is more informal and common in spoken Persian than the standard چرا. برای چه is slightly more formal or literary than برای چی but is still used in spoken contexts to ask for a specific reason. For a formal way to express "why" that is equivalent to "for what reason" or "under what circumstance", you can use به چه دلیلی.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈtʃi.raː/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1 of 2.
Did you know?
- In Persian, the word چرا can be used as a standalone response meaning 'yes' when answering a negative question.
- The word چرا is a homonym that can also refer to a pasture or the act of grazing, coming from the verb چریدن.
Examples in context
- چرا کار نمی کنی؟Why don't you work?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is not working with چرا.Tatoeba #3839804 by kuarash, translation #3839187 by Eldad
- چرا او تقلب کرد؟Why did she cheat?This sentence is useful for asking the reason for someone cheating with چرا.Tatoeba #11137386 by Pasargad, translation #7450564 by Amastan
- چرا او دوست توست؟Why is he your friend?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is a friend with چرا.Tatoeba #10245080 by Amirreza_Farid, translation #2948246 by Hybrid
- من نمی‌فهمم، چرا این اتفاق افتاد؟I don't understand why this happened?
- لطفا توضیح دهید به چه دلیلی این تصمیم را گرفتید؟Please explain the reason behind your decision.
- چرا این کار را انجام ندادی؟Why didn't you do this?
- 65 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amir asks Nilufer why she is upset.
- امیر Amirنیلوفر، چرا ناراحتی؟Nilufer, cherā nārāhatī?Nilufer, why are you upset?
- نیلوفر Niloufarچون امتحانم را خراب کردم.chon emtehānam rā kharāb kardam.Because I messed up my exam.
- امیر Amirچرا؟ مگه خیلی مطالعه نکردی؟cherā? mage kheylī motāle'e nakardī?Why? Didn't you study a lot?
- نیلوفر Niloufarمطالعه کردم، اما خیلی سخت بود.motāle'e kardam, ammā kheylī sakht būd.I studied, but it was very hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries چرا, برای چه, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries برای, چرا, چه, چی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
