Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| por qué | |
| a qué son | /a ˌke ˈson/ |
| a son de qué | /a ˌson de ˈke/ |
| con qué motivo/razón | |
| en razón de qué | /en raˌθon de ˈke/ /en raˌson de ˈke/ |
| por | /poɾ/ /ˈpo/ |
The most common and universal way to say "why" in Spanish is ¿Por qué? Formally, you can ask ¿Cuál es la razón? (what is the reason?) or use ¿Con qué propósito? (with what purpose?) to inquire about a specific intention. Other ways to ask for a reason include a qué son, a son de qué, con qué motivo/razón and en razón de qué. When providing an explanation, use por eso to mean "that's why" or "for that reason".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase por qué is literally composed of the preposition por (for/by) and the interrogative pronoun qué (what), meaning "for what".
Which one should you use?
The two-word form por qué is used for the question "why", whereas the single-word form porqué is a noun meaning "the reason".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may hear the informal expressions ¿por qué demonios? or ¿por qué narices? used to add emphasis or frustration.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Be careful not to confuse the interrogative por qué (why) with the conjunction porque, which means "because".
Did you know?
- The phrase por qué narices uses the word for 'nostrils' as a polite substitute for a more vulgar word to express frustration, similar to saying 'why on earth' in English.
- Using ¿Por qué? as a response to a request can be interpreted as an act of defiance or rebellion, especially in a parent-child relationship, rather than a genuine question.
- The word qué in por qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid, which is the same root used in the English phrase 'quid pro quo'.
Examples in context
- No sé por qué.I don't know why.Tatoeba #861928 by ildefonk, translation #1784975 by Amastan
- ¿Y por qué no?And why not?Tatoeba #1039350 by Shishir, translation #1039433 by GPHemsley
- Por eso lo odio.This is why I hate him.Tatoeba #1670259 by marcelostockle, translation #56195 by CM
- ¿Por qué llegaste tarde al trabajo hoy?Why did you arrive late to work today?
- Señor Rodríguez, ¿por qué decidió invertir en esa empresa?Mr. Rodríguez, why did you decide to invest in that company?
- ¿Cuál es la razón por la que no se ha completado el informe?What is the reason why the report hasn't been completed?
- Doctora, ¿cuál es la razón médica detrás de este síntoma?Doctor, what is the medical reason behind this symptom?
- ¿Con qué propósito se creó este comité?With what purpose was this committee created?
- Señorita González, ¿con qué propósito se solicitaron los fondos adicionales?Miss González, with what purpose were the additional funds requested?
- ¿Por qué razón decidiste cambiar de carrera?Why did you decide to change your career?
- Amigo, ¿por qué razón no te gustó la película?Dude, why didn't you like the movie?
- ¿Para qué te compraste otro teléfono si tenías uno nuevo?Why did you buy another phone if you already had a new one?
- Chicos, ¿para qué se organizó esta reunión?Guys, what is this meeting for?
- 3570 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries a qué son, a son de qué, en razón de qué, por, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, con, de, por, qué, son, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
