Spanish - Reasons

Lesson 38 of 159

Learner thinking and asking questions in Spanish about reasons; lesson on giving explanations.

Goal: Ask and explain why — give clear reasons in conversation

Free Spanish lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to go deeper with reasons? This lesson helps you ask and give motives, explanations, and decisions in natural Spanish. Practice hearing short questions and answering with real reasons.

Level B1: In this lesson you'll practice asking for reasons and giving explanations using common Spanish frames (e.g., ¿Por qué ___?, Lo hice porque ___., La razón principal es ___.). CEFR-aligned and focused on real conversational uses — listen, repeat, then use these phrases in short answers.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Level B1: Ask for reasons and explanations in spoken Spanish.
  • Give clear causes, decisions, and negative reasons (e.g., No pude porque ___).
  • Use polite and casual question frames to gather motivation.
Two friends discussing why one moved cities; listening practice for asking and giving reasons in Spanish.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

¿Por qué ___?

Why did you ___?

Meaning: Why did you ___?

When to use: Use this general question to ask why someone did a past action. Fill the blank with the past-tense action.

Tip: Don't drop the accent: 'por qué' (question) is different from 'porque' (because).

¿Por qué llegaste tarde?
Why did you arrive late?
¿Por qué vendiste tu coche?
Why did you sell your car?

¿Por qué quieres ___?

Why do you want to ___?

Meaning: Why do you want to ___?

When to use: Ask this to find someone's motivation for a future or current desire (uses tú by default).

¿Por qué quieres aprender español?
Why do you want to learn Spanish?
¿Por qué quieres cambiar de trabajo?
Why do you want to change jobs?

¿Cuál es la razón de ___?

What's the reason for ___?

Meaning: What’s the reason for ___?

When to use: Use this to ask for the reason behind a situation, often for a noun or action (formal wording).

¿Cuál es la razón de tu decisión?
What's the reason for your decision?
¿Cuál es la razón de la reunión?
What's the reason for the meeting?

¿Y por qué ___?

How come ___?

Meaning: How come ___?

When to use: A casual, conversational way to ask why something happened; good with friends.

Tip: This is casual — avoid in very formal contexts.

¿Y por qué no viniste ayer?
So, how come you didn't come yesterday?
¿Y por qué dejaste la universidad?
How come you left university?

Lo hice porque ___.

I did it because ___.

Meaning: I did it because ___.

When to use: Use this to state the reason for a past action; follow with a clause explaining the cause.

Tip: Don't confuse 'porque' (because) with 'por que' — use 'porque' for reasons.

Lo hice porque quería ayudar.
I did it because I wanted to help.
Lo hice porque era necesario.
I did it because it was necessary.

Lo elegí porque ___.

I chose it because ___.

Meaning: I chose it because ___.

When to use: Explain the motive behind a choice or decision; follow with the deciding factor.

Lo elegí porque tiene buen transporte público.
I chose it because it has good public transport.
Lo elegí porque era más barato.
I chose it because it was cheaper.

Es porque ___.

It's because ___.

Meaning: It’s because ___.

When to use: Give a short cause or simple explanation; good for quick answers.

No aceptaron mi solicitud. Es porque faltó información.
They didn't accept my application. It's because information was missing.
Llegué tarde. Es porque el autobús se retrasó.
I arrived late. It's because the bus was delayed.

La razón principal es ___.

The main reason is ___.

Meaning: The main reason is ___.

When to use: Use this to highlight the primary cause when several reasons exist.

La razón principal es el costo elevado.
The main reason is the high cost.
La razón principal es la falta de tiempo.
The main reason is lack of time.

No pude porque ___.

I couldn't because ___.

Meaning: I couldn’t because ___.

When to use: Explain why you were unable to do something; follow with the obstacle or reason.

No pude porque tuve un problema de salud.
I couldn't because I had a health problem.
No pude porque el tren se canceló.
I couldn't because the train was cancelled.

Como ___, ___.

Since ___, I ___.

Meaning: Since ___, I ___.

When to use: Give background or context; start with 'Como' + reason, then the result.

Como estaba lluviendo, cancelamos la excursión.
Since it was raining, we cancelled the trip.
Como no había plazas, busqué otra opción.
Since there were no spots, I looked for another option.

¿Qué te hizo decidir ___?

What made you decide to ___?

Meaning: What made you decide to ___?

When to use: Ask about the motivation behind a decision; natural when asking about changes or big choices.

¿Qué te hizo decidir estudiar en el extranjero?
What made you decide to study abroad?
¿Qué te hizo decidir vender la casa?
What made you decide to sell the house?

¿Podrías explicar por qué ___?

Could you explain why ___?

Meaning: Could you explain why ___?

When to use: Use this polite request to ask someone to give an explanation; good in semi-formal situations.

¿Podrías explicar por qué cancelaron la reunión?
Could you explain why they cancelled the meeting?
¿Podrías explicar por qué elegiste esa fecha?
Could you explain why you chose that date?

¿Hay alguna razón por la que ___?

Is there a reason why ___?

Meaning: Is there a reason why ___?

When to use: Ask whether a reason exists for an action or situation; useful when you suspect an explanation.

¿Hay alguna razón por la que no respondiste?
Is there any reason why you didn't reply?
¿Hay alguna razón por la que cambiaste tu horario?
Is there a reason why you changed your schedule?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna asks David about his move and recent choices.

What decision is Anna asking David about?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Qué te hizo decidir mudarte a Madrid?

What made you decide to move to Madrid?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Lo elegí porque conseguí un trabajo allí.

I chose it because I got a job there.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Y por qué quieres vivir tan lejos de tu familia?

How come you want to live so far from your family?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Como mi familia está allí, quiero estar cerca de ellos.

Since my family is there, I want to be close to them.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Podrías explicar por qué no viniste a la despedida?

Could you explain why you didn't come to the farewell?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

No pude porque estaba enfermo.

I couldn't because I was sick.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Spanish sentence means “Could you explain why ___?”

Which Spanish phrase best answers: “What’s the main cause?”

Which question asks about what motivated a decision?

Which Spanish phrase is the casual 'How come ___?'

Choose 'Lo hice porque ___.' to say 'I did it because ___.'

I did it ___ (to state the reason for a past action).

Use 'No pude porque ___.' to explain why you couldn't do something.

I couldn't come to the meeting ___ (give the obstacle).

Start with 'Como ___, ___.' to give background or context (Since ___, ___).

Since I was tired, ___.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Por qué ___?

Why did you ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Por qué quieres ___?

Why do you want to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Cuál es la razón de ___?

What's the reason for ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Y por qué ___?

How come ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Lo hice porque ___.

I did it because ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Lo elegí porque ___.

I chose it because ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Es porque ___.

It's because ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

La razón principal es ___.

The main reason is ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

No pude porque ___.

I couldn't because ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Como ___, ___.

Since ___, I ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Qué te hizo decidir ___?

What made you decide to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Podrías explicar por qué ___?

Could you explain why ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Hay alguna razón por la que ___?

Is there a reason why ___?