а почему́
a počemú
The English phrase "why not" can be translated into Russian as а почему́ (a počemú) or а что́ так.
Meaning: why is that not true (adv)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| а почему́ | a počemú |
| а что́ так | a štó tak |
The phrase is used to ask why a certain situation or statement is not true.
How do you pronounce it?
a počemú
Did you know?
- The word так is a linguistic relative of the Latin word 'talis', meaning 'such' or 'of such a kind'.
- Russian uses the word почему́ (why) derived from почему́ (by what reason), literally asking 'by what' the situation came to be.
- In Russian, adding а to the start of a question can make the tone feel more inquisitive or even slightly confrontational depending on the context.
Examples in context
- А почему́ это не так?A pochemu eto ne tak?But why is that not so?
Example conversation
Maria and Andrei are discussing a new plan for their project.
- Мария MariaЭтот план не подходит нам.Etot plan ne podkhodit nam.This plan does not suit us.
- Андрей AndreyА почему́ нет?A pochemu net?But why not?
- Мария MariaОн слишком дорогой для нас.On slishkom dorogoy dlya nas.It is too expensive for us.
- Андрей AndreyЯ понимаю твою позицию.Ya ponimayu tvoyu pozitsiyu.I understand your position.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why not” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries а, так, CC BY-SA 4.0.
