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Pocket Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary © 2005 Oxford University Press:

why

NOTE:
Note that there are three ways of asking questions using why: why did you go? = pourquoi est-ce que tu y es allé?, pourquoi y es-tu allé?, tu y es allé pourquoi?

1. adverb
   1. (in questions) pourquoi;
      ~ do you ask? pourquoi est-ce que tu me poses la question?, pourquoi me poses-tu la question?;
      ~ bother? pourquoi se tracasser?;
      ~ the delay? pourquoi ce retard?;
      ~ not? pourquoi pas?;
      ‘tell them’—‘~ should I?’ ‘dis-le-leur’—‘et pourquoi (est-ce que je devrais le faire)?’;
   2. (making suggestions) pourquoi;
      ~ don't we go away for the weekend? pourquoi ne pas partir quelque part pour le week-end?;
      ~ don't I invite them for dinner? et si je les invitais à manger?

2. conjunction pour ça;
   that is ~ they came c'est pour ça qu'ils sont venus;
   I need to know the reason ~ j'ai besoin de savoir pourquoi.

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'why' found in these entries:

English:

after - dawn - figure - find - hell - idea - know - not - reason - should - unsure - what - when - wonder

French:

bien - ça - diable - honneur - logique - plutôt - pourquoi - priver - regarder - rien - titre - tomber - voir

why: WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2009

Principal Translations/Principales traductions
why	interj	(explain)	pourquoi interj
You are leaving? Why?
Tu pars ? Pourquoi ?
why	adv	(for what?)	pourquoi adv
Why do you smile that way?
Pourquoi souris-tu comme cela ?
why	n	(by what cause?)	pourquoi adv
Why is this soup cold already?
Pourquoi est-ce que cette soupe est déjà froide ?
Additional Translations/Traductions supplémentaires
why	conj	(for what reason)	pourquoi conj
I'm tired, and that is why I am going to bed.
Je suis fatigué, et c'est pourquoi je vais me coucher.
why	conj	(on account of which)	pourquoi conj
I am angry, which is why I am not smiling.
Je suis en colère, c'est pourquoi je ne souris pas.
why	interj	(surprise, amazement)	tiens interj
			mais pourquoi interj
Note: mais pourquoi is a more emphatic form than "pourquoi" alone
You're moving away? Why?
Tiens ? Tu déménages ?
Tu déménages ? Mais pourquoi ?
why	n	(reason, cause)	pourquoi nm
			raison nf
They are curious about the why of our decision.
Ils sont intrigués par le pourquoi de notre décision.
Ils sont intrigués par la raison de notre décision.
Améliorer les traductions "why" ci-dessus.

Compound Forms/Formes composées
for why		phrase	pour quelle raison
reason why		nf	raison pour laquelle
why not?		adv	pourquoi pas ?
Report an error.

Forums WR : discussions dont le titre comprend le mot(s) "why".

...but why was this so?
'why women fall for "Mr. Average" '
[...], and the following is why.
"that's why it all worked out"
"This is why" ... (beginning of paragraph)
"Why don't we have a sensible programme?"
"why" as a noun
"Why" followed by a coma inside exclamative sentences
About why
aint... but why the additional word "no" ?
analyse why it has been so successful in France
and he asks why not
any reason why
as for why
as to why
Be prepared to talk about this object and explain why it's important.
Beyond a reason why
But why is doing just that　so damn difficult
But why is that I am not convinced ?!
Can you tell me why it has increased
Come back? Why?
d'aller, why de?
deciding why
doing so will allow for a deeper understanding of why Senghor, Damas, Cesaire and Diop approached the ideology of the negritude in the way they did.
en quoi = why ?
FR pronouns: Why did you not give him/her some (of it)? - grammaire
FR: Brushing my teeth with shaving cream and wondering why - grammaire
FR: Do you understand why - grammaire
FR: j'avais froid et très faim - why the imparfait? - grammaire
FR: this is why they go - grammaire
Suite...

• Pour poser la question dans les forums
• Pour visiter le forum Français-Anglais.

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