porque
/ˈpoɾke/
Translation
because
Examples
.
I did not go to the party because I was ill.
, .
I do it because I enjoy it, not for money.
¿ ? .
Why did you do it? Because you asked me to.
Spanish has four distinct forms that sound similar but have different roles: porque (because, conjunction), por qué (why, interrogative), porqué (the reason, noun), and por que (for which, relative clause). All learners must master this distinction.
Porque introduces a causal clause. Por qué asks for the reason (note the two-word form and accent). Porqué is a noun: "no entiendo el porqué" (I don't understand the reason). Por que is rare and used in formal writing after certain verbs and nouns that take por. In everyday use, the first two forms are overwhelmingly common.
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 2.