How to Say "because" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “because” is “porque” — use 'porque' when you are directly stating the reason for something, especially in everyday conversation and writing.
porque
por-kehˈpoɾke
Examples
No salgo porque llueve.
I'm not going out because it's raining.
Estudio español porque quiero viajar a México.
I'm studying Spanish because I want to travel to Mexico.
Llegué tarde porque había mucho tráfico.
I arrived late because there was a lot of traffic.
Answering 'Why?'
'Porque' is the answer to the question '¿Por qué?' (Why?). Think of it as a pair: '¿Por qué?' asks the question, and 'porque' gives the answer.
Connecting Two Ideas
Use 'porque' to link a result with its cause. For example: [Result: I'm happy]... 'porque'... [Cause: it's Friday].
Mixing up 'porque' and 'por qué'
Mistake: “Estudio español por qué me gusta.”
Correction: Estudio español porque me gusta. Use 'porque' (one word) to mean 'because'. Use '¿por qué?' (two words, with an accent) to ask 'why?'.
como
KO-moˈko.mo
Examples
Como no tenía paraguas, me mojé.
Since I didn't have an umbrella, I got wet.
Como era tarde, decidimos volver a casa.
As it was late, we decided to go back home.
Como el restaurante estaba cerrado, fuimos a otro.
Since the restaurant was closed, we went to another one.
'Como' for Reasons
When you use 'como' to give a reason, it almost always goes at the beginning of the whole sentence. The reason comes first, then the result.
Using 'Como' Instead of 'Porque'
Mistake: “Me quedé en casa como estaba lloviendo.”
Correction: Use 'porque' in the middle of a sentence to mean 'because': 'Me quedé en casa porque estaba lloviendo.' Use 'como' to start the sentence: 'Como estaba lloviendo, me quedé en casa.'
Examples
No quiso venir, pues estaba muy cansado.
He didn't want to come, because he was very tired.
Choosing Between 'Porque' and 'Como'
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