English–French
“why” in French
French
Pronunciation
IPA/puʁkwa/
Example
Tu sais pourquoi il est en retard ?
Do you know why he is late?
How to say “why” in French
“Why” in French is pourquoi.
A question mark aimed behind an event, seeking the reason that explains it.
Example sentences with pourquoi
Je ne comprends pas pourquoi il a dit ça.
I don't understand why he said that.
Tips for using pourquoi
- In a direct question, pourquoi can accompany inversion, as in Pourquoi est-il en retard?, while indirect questions normally keep regular word order.