Have trouble telling apart “¿por qué?” and “porque”? No hay problema!
“¿Por qué?” and “porque” may be closely related in meaning, but they are not interchangeable. Let’s take a closer look to their specific uses:
Uses of ¿por qué?:
1. It is used to ask questions:
- ¿Por qué estudias español? Why do you study Spanish?
- ¿Por qué te gusta viajar? Why do you like to travel?
2. Sometimes it is used in statements that form an indirect question:
- Dime por qué las noches son tan largas. Tell me why the nights are so long.
- Quiero saber por qué no me llamaste. I want to know why you didn’t call me.
Uses of porque:
1. It is used to answer questions, especially those asked using “¿por qué?”:
- – ¿Por qué no me llamaste? – Porque era muy tarde.
– Why didn’t you call? – Because it was too late.
- – ¿Por qué no vienes al cine con nosotros? – Porque tengo que estudiar.
– Why don’t you come to the movies with us? – Because I have to study.
2. It is used to explain the reason or cause of something:
- Él no viene porque está cansado. He’s not coming because he is tired.
- Mi hermana está feliz porque hoy empiezan sus vacaciones. My sister is happy because her vacations start today.