por qué no
/poɾ ke no/from spelling rules
The English phrase "why not" is translated into Spanish as por qué no.
Meaning: why is that not true (adv)
How does it change in a sentence?
In this interrogative sense, the word qué must include an accent on the 'e'.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ ke no/
Did you know?
- While por qué no asks for a reason, the similar-sounding porque no (one word) is used to answer 'just because'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, por qué no can be used as a soft way to suggest something, acting more like a polite nudge than a literal question.
- The word por in this phrase comes from the Latin prō, which is also the root of the English prefix 'pro-'.
Examples in context
- ¿Y por qué no?And why not?This sentence is useful for asking "And why not?" using por qué no.Tatoeba #1039350 by Shishir, translation #1039433 by GPHemsley
- ¿Por qué no ambos?Why not both?This sentence is useful for asking "Why not both?" using por qué no.Tatoeba #2471353 by marcelostockle, translation #2440024 by CM
- Claro, ¿por qué no?Sure, why not?This sentence is useful for saying "Sure, why not?" using por qué no.Tatoeba #1602691 by hayastan, translation #1610745 by Shishir
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are discussing a movie choice.
- MaríaNo creo que esta película sea buena.I don't think this movie is good.
- Javier¿Por qué no?Why not?
- MaríaLas críticas dicen que es muy aburrida.The reviews say it is very boring.
- JavierEntonces busquemos otra opción.Then let's look for another option.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why not” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, por, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
