Por qué vs Porque: when to use each one

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, February 13, 2025

The use of por qué, porque and porqué often generates doubts among Spanish students, even among native speakers when it comes to writing. Although these words are similar, each one has a specific use and a different function within a sentence.

In this Enforex article, we will explain each of these forms, when and how they are used, as well as clear examples to understand their correct application in a sentence. Take the plunge and learn Spanish in Spain now!

1. Por qué (Why)

Por qué, written separately and with an accent on the e, is used in direct and indirect questions. It is formed by the Spanish preposition “por” and the interrogative pronoun “qué”. Therefore, por qué is used when asking about the cause or the reason for something and is equivalent in English to why.

Examples:

• ¿Por qué llegaste tarde? (Why were you late?)
• ¿Por qué estás triste? (Why are you sad?)
• No entiendo por qué te fuiste tan rápido (I don't understand why you left so quickly)

Thus, por qué always appears in interrogative or exclamatory sentences.

2. Porque (because)

Let’s continue with the causal conjunction porque, which is used to answer questions or explain reasons. A trick to know when to use it is that it can be substituted for “ya que” or “puesto que”. In addition, porque is equivalent in English to because.

Examples:

• No fui a la fiesta porque estaba enfermo (I didn't go to the party because I was sick)
• Estudia porque quiere aprender (He studies because he wants to learn)
• Me fui temprano porque tenía sueño (I left early because I was sleepy)

Therefore, porque is used to give an answer or explanation.

3. Porqué (the reason)

Finally, the masculine noun porqué. This word means motive or reason and is always accompanied by an article or determiner. In English, its closest equivalent would be the reason.

Examples:

• No entiendo el porqué de tu actitud (I don't understand the reason for your attitude)
• Explícame el porqué de tu decisión (Explain the reason for your decision)
• Nadie sabe el porqué de su tristeza (Nobody knows the reason for their sadness)

The rule when using porqué is simple: it is used when it is equivalent to “the reason”.

Therefore, once you have seen when each of these words is used, we are going to leave a short summary of it.

Por qué is used in direct and indirect questions, while porque is used to give an explanation or cause and can be substituted for “ya que”. And finally, por qué is a noun that means reason and is always accompanied by an article.

Exercises and examples: porque vs por qué

Now that you've seen how and when to use porque and por qué in Spanish, below are several sentences containing these words to help you understand how they're used. Can you work out what type of porque/por qué is used in each case?

• ¿Por qué no me llamaste ayer? (Why didn't you call me yesterday?)
• Me quedé en casa porque estaba lloviendo (I stayed at home because it was raining)
• No entiendo por qué siempre llegas tarde (I don't understand why you're always late)
• El profesor explicó el porqué de su decisión (The teacher explained the reason for his decision)
• ¿Por qué no quieres venir con nosotros? (Why don't you want to come with us?)
• Me gusta el café porque me ayuda a despertarme (I like coffee because it helps me wake up)
• Nadie supo el porqué de su enfado (Nobody knew the reason for his anger)
• Dime por qué estabas tan preocupado ayer (Tell me why you were so worried yesterday)
• No salí de casa porque tenía mucho trabajo (I didn't leave the house because I had a lot of work to do)
• Siempre quiero saber el porqué de las cosas (I always want to know the reason behind things)

Answers: por qué - interrogative/ porque – explanation/por qué – interrogative/porqué – reason/por qué - interrogative/porque - explanation/porqué - reason/por qué-interrogative/porque - explanation/porqué -reason

In addition, here are several sentences to complete with the correct porque/por qué/porqué:

• No entiendo _______ no me contestaste el mensaje.
• No vino a clase _______ se sentía mal.
• ¿______ estás tan feliz hoy?
• Nadie supo explicar el _______ de la cancelación del evento.
• Dijo que se fue temprano _______ tenía un compromiso.

Answers: por qué/porque/por qué/porqué/porque

Practice and master the use of these words in Spanish that will be very useful to you in everyday life, especially when talking to native Spanish speakers. Do you still have any questions? If the answer is yes, sign up for an intensive Spanish course with us and our teachers will answer all your questions.