There are words in Spanish which change their meaning simply when you use a written accent. Let's look at porque vs por qué which is also written as one word and two words respectively.
Porque
Porque is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate sentence and introduces cause. It will never have an accent and it is a single word. Its direct English translation is because.
For example:
Por qué
Por qué is written as two separate words and has a written accent on qué. It is used in both direct and indirect interrogative sentences. Its direct English translation is why.
For example:
Here are some more examples:
- Porque = because
- Por qué = why
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Examples and resources
Si te gusta bailar, ¿por qué no te apuntas a mis clases de salsa?If you like dancing, why don't you sign up for my salsa classes?
No llegamos a tiempo porque había mucho tráfico.We didn't arrive on time because there was a lot of traffic.