pourquoi pas
/puʁ.kwa pa/
In French, "why not" is translated as pourquoi pas.
The most common and versatile translation for "why not" in French is pourquoi pas. You can use Et pourquoi pas to emphasize the "and" aspect of "why not" and add enthusiasm. The variation Allez, pourquoi pas adds a friendly and encouraging tone.
Meaning: why is that not true (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pourquoi (why) and pas (not).
Did you know?
- The 'pas' in pourquoi pas originally meant 'a step'. In ancient French, saying you would not go 'pas' literally meant you would not take a single step forward.
- The word pourquoi is a combination of pour meaning 'for' and quoi meaning 'what'. It literally asks 'for what' reason something is the case.
- While pourquoi pas is a common way to suggest an idea, it can sound quite assertive or even cheeky depending on the speaker's tone, much like a shrug in verbal form.
Examples in context
- Et pourquoi pas ?And why not?Tatoeba #1039348 by sacredceltic, translation #1039433 by GPHemsley
- Oui, pourquoi pas ?Yes, why not?Tatoeba #5680307 by Yemana, translation #5006717 by Lindoula
- Pourquoi pas demain ?Why not tomorrow?Tatoeba #4580509 by sacredceltic, translation #2755357 by 12sea21
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are discussing potential weekend plans.
- HugoOn pourrait aller au cinéma ce soir.We could go to the cinema tonight.
- EmmaPourquoi pas, j'en ai envie.Why not, I feel like it.
- HugoTu veux choisir le film ?Do you want to choose the movie?
- EmmaD'accord, je vais regarder les horaires.Okay, I will check the showtimes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why not” translations and entries pourquoi pas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pas, pourquoi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
