Porque in Spanish
When you are reading written Spanish, you may see “por qué” and “porque” and “por que” and “porqué”. This trips up many beginner Spanish learners. In fact, even many native Speakers that can flawlessly pronounce and use these words in their everyday speech without even thinking about it struggle when it comes time to write them. So, what’s the difference between the 4 ways to spell and pronounce “porque” in Spanish?
What does “¿Por qué?” mean in Spanish?
¿Por qué? most commonly means simple “Why”. In fact, it is not often translated in any other way. It’s used as a question when it includes the ¿/?, such as in “¿Por qué no estás trabajando? – “Why aren’t you working?”
What does “Porque” mean in Spanish?
Porque typically means because. It is often used in the response to the “why” form described in the paragraph above.
No estoy trabajando porque me siento enfermo – I am not working because I feel ill.
What does “Por que” mean in Spanish?
Por que means “for which”. Since a Spanish sentence can never end in a preposition, you would never end with the word “for”. (Actually, you’re not technically supposed to do this in English either, but it’s a commonly ignored rule). So it’s much more common to use “for which” towards the beginning of the sentence.
What does “Porqué” mean in Spanish?
Porqué means “the reason”. It’s a noun, and it is fairly uncommon in actual Spanish conversation. For most Spanish beginners, the others forms will be much more important to learn and master before you move on to this one.
'Porque,' 'Por Qué,' 'Por Que' and 'Porqué'
| Spanish | English | Type of speech | Emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porque | Because | Conjunction/preposition | 2nd syllable |
| Por qué | Why | Adverb/conjunction | 1st syllable |
| Por que | That / for which | 2nd syllable | |
| Porqué | Reason | Noun | 1st syllable |
How to pronounce por qué, porque, por que, and porqué
As far as pronunciation goes, truthfully, the four forms are all relatively similar. There are, however, some subtle differences in the emphasis. With por qué and porqué, there is ever so slightly more emphasis on the last syllable, which is why you see the accents where the are. Porque and por que are emphasized on the initial syllable.
How to spell por qué, porque, por que, and porqué
Similarly to English, the spelling and even where apostrophes and other punctuation are placed within a word can drastically change the meaning of a sentence. For a poignant example, compare the two following sentences:
Let’s eat, Grandma!
Let’s eat Grandma!
A bit of a silly example, but it gets the point across. A better comparable to por qué/porque/por que/porqué might be “who’s” vs. “whose” and “its vs it’s”. People will probably still know what you are saying if you mix them up, but it may impact how people view the sentence, or even you, the speaker. Especially if you are writing formally, it’s a good idea to get things right the first time.
Here’s some practice – which do you think is correct?
¿Por qué no bebes cerveza?
¿Porqué no bebes cerveza? (Why don’t you drink beer?)
The first means “Why don’t you drink beer?” The second is nonsense, but might be roughly translated to “Reason you don’t drink beer?” It wouldn’t really work in conversation.
No estoy comiendo porque no tengo hambre.
No estoy comiendo por que no tengo hambre.
The first means “I am not eating because I am not hungry.” The second means “I am not eating for which I am not hungry.” It’s complete nonsense.
Rather than spending a lot of time on rote memorization of rules and examples, we always recommend trying to hear and see these words in context. To actually make this ingrained, it’s best to read Spanish regularly or listen to Spanish audiobooks. Here are some free Spanish audiobooks to get you started.
If you’re looking for more great resources, head on over to learn Spanish while driving, or read about compliments in Spanish.
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