Por que vs Por quê vs Porquê
An often-confusing word in the Portuguese language for native and second language speakers alike is "por que" (why). Why is that (pun intended)? Well, although pronounced identically, the word "por que" has several different spellings that carry different meanings. First of all, there are four spellings to "por que" and at least four meanings.
Let us look at this example of a short dialogue between two friends:
Carol: Oi Marcos, por que você está vestido de branco? (Why are you wearing white?)
Marcos: Porque hoje é dia de réveillon. (Because tonight is New Year's Eve)
Carol: Sim, mas qual é o porquê dessa tradição? (Yes, but what is the reason behind this tradition?)
Marcos: Você é tão curiosa! Por quê? (You are so curious! Why is that?)
Carol: Não sei, não entendo por que alguém seguiria uma tradição se não sabe o porquê. (I do not know; I do not understand why someone would follow a tradition, if they don't understand the reason for it)
In the quick conversation above, Carol and Marcos used the four grammatical forms of the word: "por que", "por quê", porque" and "porquê". If you have read this and feel none the wiser about how to use these different forms, do not panic, here is how:
Por que
This spelling of the word has two uses. Firstly, it means "for what purpose/reason" or "why". For example, you could say "Por que você não aprende uma habilidade nova?" (Why don't you learn a new skill?)
or "Eu não sei por que não me sinto motivada" (I don't know why I don't feel motivated).
Another use of "por que" is as a combination of the preposition "por" (by) and the relative noun "que" (what). For example, "Só eu sei por que caminhos andei" (Only I know what paths I've walked by)
Por quê
In this case, the word "por quê" also means "for what purpose/reason" or "why", but it can only be used before a full stop, an exclamation or a question mark. For example, "Ir ao cinema, por quê? Podemos assistir filmes em casa!" (Why go to the cinema? We can watch films at home!) or "Você não fez o que eu lhe pedi, por quê?" (You didn't do what I asked you to, why is that?)
Porque
This "porque" is a causal or explanatory conjunction, i.e. it means "because", "as". For example:
"Eu não quero te ver hoje porque estou com dor de cabeça." (I don't want to see you today, because I have a headache)
"Não faça isso porque você vai se arrepender." (Don't do this as you'll regret it)
Porquê
In this case, "porquê" is a noun that means "the purpose" or "the reason". An article, a noun, an adjective or a number precedes it. For example:
"Você não sabe o porquê das minhas ações, então não me julgue." (You don't know the reason for my actions, so don't judge me) or "Me fale um porquê de eu não desligar o telefone agora!" (Tell me one reason why I shouldn't hang up the phone now!)
In short:
Por que or por quê mean "why"
Por que also means "by what"
Porque means "because/as"
Porquê means "reason/purpose"
And that, my friends, is why!
An often-confusing word in the Portuguese language for native and second language speakers alike is "por que" (why). Why is that (pun intended)? Well, although pronounced identically, the word "por que" has several different spellings that carry different meanings. First of all, there are four spellings to "por que" and at least four meanings.
Let us look at this example of a short dialogue between two friends:
Carol: Oi Marcos, por que você está vestido de branco? (Why are you wearing white?)
Marcos: Porque hoje é dia de réveillon. (Because tonight is New Year's Eve)
Carol: Sim, mas qual é o porquê dessa tradição? (Yes, but what is the reason behind this tradition?)
Marcos: Você é tão curiosa! Por quê? (You are so curious! Why is that?)
Carol: Não sei, não entendo por que alguém seguiria uma tradição se não sabe o porquê. (I do not know; I do not understand why someone would follow a tradition, if they don't understand the reason for it)
In the quick conversation above, Carol and Marcos used the four grammatical forms of the word: "por que", "por quê", porque" and "porquê". If you have read this and feel none the wiser about how to use these different forms, do not panic, here is how:
Por que
This spelling of the word has two uses. Firstly, it means "for what purpose/reason" or "why". For example, you could say "Por que você não aprende uma habilidade nova?" (Why don't you learn a new skill?)
or "Eu não sei por que não me sinto motivada" (I don't know why I don't feel motivated).
Another use of "por que" is as a combination of the preposition "por" (by) and the relative noun "que" (what). For example, "Só eu sei por que caminhos andei" (Only I know what paths I've walked by)
Por quê
In this case, the word "por quê" also means "for what purpose/reason" or "why", but it can only be used before a full stop, an exclamation or a question mark. For example, "Ir ao cinema, por quê? Podemos assistir filmes em casa!" (Why go to the cinema? We can watch films at home!) or "Você não fez o que eu lhe pedi, por quê?" (You didn't do what I asked you to, why is that?)
Porque
This "porque" is a causal or explanatory conjunction, i.e. it means "because", "as". For example:
"Eu não quero te ver hoje porque estou com dor de cabeça." (I don't want to see you today, because I have a headache)
"Não faça isso porque você vai se arrepender." (Don't do this as you'll regret it)
Porquê
In this case, "porquê" is a noun that means "the purpose" or "the reason". An article, a noun, an adjective or a number precedes it. For example:
"Você não sabe o porquê das minhas ações, então não me julgue." (You don't know the reason for my actions, so don't judge me) or "Me fale um porquê de eu não desligar o telefone agora!" (Tell me one reason why I shouldn't hang up the phone now!)
In short:
Por que or por quê mean "why"
Por que also means "by what"
Porque means "because/as"
Porquê means "reason/purpose"
And that, my friends, is why!
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