German word

warum

Pronunciation

IPA/vaˈʁʊm/

Meaning

  • adverbwhy

Example

Sag mir, warum du zu spät warst.

Tell me why you were late.

Illustration for warum (why)

More examples

Ich weiß nicht, warum er das überhaupt macht.

I don't know why he does that at all.

Core concept

A thread is traced backward from an event to what caused it.

Common phrases

  • warum überhaupt

    why at all

  • warum nicht

    why not

Similar words

wieso: A conversational question asking why something happened.
weshalb: A formal question asking for the reason behind something.
weswegen: A question about the cause or motivation behind an event.

Definition in German

Ein Adverb zur Nachfrage nach dem Grund, verwendet in Fragen wie „Warum?“ oder in Nebensätzen zur Angabe der Ursache.

Word origin

Middle High German warumbe became modern German warum after the ending was shortened, while the question meaning remained.

Usage tips

  • Warum asks for a reason, whereas wozu and wofür commonly ask about a purpose or intended use.

Opposites

Word lists with this word