43
Expressing cause, effect
and purpose
As in English, there are many different ways of expressing cause, effect and purpose in
Spanish. Some of the constructions are simple and not unlike those in English. Others
are more complex and may require a more detailed study.The examples given and references to certain forms in the first part of this book will
help you to become confident with their use.43.1 Enquiring about cause
To enquire about the cause or reason for something Spanish uses a number of
expressions, the most common of which are¿Por qué?‘why?’
¿Cómo... ?‘why?, how come... ?’
¿Cómo es que... ?‘why is it that... ?, how come... ?’
¿A qué se debe?‘what’s the reason?, what is it due to?’
¿Por qué razón/motivo?‘why?, what’s the reason?’
¿Cuál es la razón/el motivo?‘what’s the reason?’^12 (p. 48)
43.1.1 ¿Por qué? is the most common and neutral of these expressions:
¿Por qué dijiste eso?
Why did you say that?¿Por qué está usted todavía aquí?
Why are you still here?12.6 (p. 50)
43.1.2 ¿Cómo...? and¿Cómo es que...? are more colloquial and used in the spoken
language. Both usually convey surprise or disapproval, especially the second one.
¿Cómo...? is used in negative questions while¿Cómo es que...? can be used in
negative or positive ones.
¿Cómo no me lo advertiste?
Why/How come you didn’t warn me?