por que/por quê/porque/porquê
Four Ways to Write Por Que
Por que: Questions (start/middle) or 'for which'.
Por quê: Questions at the end of a sentence.
Porque: Answers and explanations (because).
Porquê: The noun meaning 'the reason'.
How It Works
In Portuguese, the concept of 'why' is split into four specific forms:
1. Por que (Separated, Unaccented):
- Interrogative: Used in direct or indirect questions. Ex: Por que você foi? (Why did you go?)
- Relative Pronoun: Means 'for which' or 'through which'. It can be replaced by pelo qual. Ex: Os caminhos por que passei. (The paths through which I passed.)
2. Por quê (Separated, Accented):
- Used exclusively at the end of a sentence or standing alone before punctuation. The accent marks the stress (tonic) that occurs naturally before a pause. Ex: Você não comeu, por quê?
3. Porque (Joined, Unaccented):
- A conjunction used to provide a cause or explanation. It is the equivalent of 'because' or 'since'. Ex: Estudo porque gosto.
4. Porquê (Joined, Accented):
- A masculine noun meaning 'the reason' or 'the motive'. It is almost always preceded by an article like o or um. Ex: Não entendo o porquê disso.
Examples (5)
- Por que você não ligou para mim ontem?
Why didn't you call me yesterday?
Word by Word: Why you not called for me yesterday?
Use 'por que' (separated) for direct questions at the beginning of a sentence.
- Eles estão rindo, mas não sei por quê.
They are laughing, but I don't know why.
Word by Word: They are laughing, but not I-know why.
Use 'por quê' (accented) when it appears at the very end of a sentence or before a pause.
- Não fui à festa porque estava muito cansado.
I didn't go to the party because I was very tired.
Word by Word: Not I-went to-the party because I-was very tired.
Use 'porque' (joined) as a conjunction to explain a reason or cause.
- Ninguém explicou o porquê de tanta confusão.
Nobody explained the reason for so much confusion.
Word by Word: Nobody explained the why of so-much confusion.
Use 'porquê' (joined and accented) when it functions as a noun, usually preceded by 'o' (the).
- Quero saber por que ela saiu tão cedo.
I want to know why she left so early.
Word by Word: I-want to-know why she left so early.
This is an indirect question; 'por que' is still separated because it is not at the end of the sentence.
Common Mistakes
Using 'porque' (joined) for all questions.
Porque você está triste?Por que você está triste?In Brazilian Portuguese, you must separate 'por que' in questions. The joined 'porque' is reserved for answers and explanations.
Forgetting the accent at the end of a sentence.
Você não veio por que?Você não veio por quê?When 'por que' falls at the end of a sentence, the 'que' becomes stressed and requires a circumflex accent.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the four spellings of 'why/because' in Portuguese, you first need to understand the basic use of 'por que' in questions and 'porque' as a conjunction. Additionally, since one form ('o porquê') acts as a noun, familiarity with definite articles is essential.
- que/quem/onde/quando/como/quanto/por queQuestion Words
Understanding 'por que' as a basic question word is the foundation for learning its four orthographic variations.
Foundations - e/ou/mas/porqueBasic Conjunctions
Understanding 'porque' as a basic conjunction for giving reasons is necessary to distinguish it from the interrogative forms.
Foundations
Related Patterns
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Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice por que/por quê/porque/porquê in Bubblegum
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