What is por que?

"Por qué" is a Spanish term that translates to "why" in English. It is commonly used to ask for reasons or explanations. In Spanish, the phrase is made up of two parts: "por," which is a preposition meaning "for" or "by," and "qué," which is an interrogative pronoun meaning "what" or "which."

It's important to note that in Spanish, "por qué" is used in questions, whereas "porque" (without the accent and as a single word) means "because" and is used to give reasons or explanations. Additionally, "porqué" (also a single word but with an accent) is a noun meaning "reason" or "cause," and "por que" (without an accent but as two separate words) is a less common conjunction or part of certain expressions.

Examples:

• ¿Por qué estás triste? (Why are you sad?)
• Estoy triste porque perdí mi libro. (I am sad because I lost my book.)
• No entiendo el porqué de su decisión. (I don't understand the reason for his decision.)

These distinctions are important for proper usage and understanding in Spanish.