Help Needed Translating "¿Para qué se hizo este estudio?"

Question

I am working on completing an assignment for my Spanish class which involves reading an article (three paragraphs) in Spanish and answering several questions about it. I have completed the entire assignment except for the first question which I am having trouble translating:

"¿Para qué se hizo este estudio?"

Am I correct (or anywhere near being correct) when I think that this question is asking "Why did they do/take this study?" If so, why does the question ask "Para qué" and not "Por qué"?

Answer 1

¿Para qué se hizo este estudio?

Why was this study done? (what does it hope to achieve)

Por qué and para qué are similar and can both be translated as 'why' but por qué is asking for the cause of something, while para qué is focusing on the purpose or intention of something.

Very clear. - Goldie_Miel, Jan 16, 2012

:) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 16, 2012

¡Gracias! Su explicación es muy útil. - Jadey7, Jan 16, 2012

de nada amiga, el placer es mío :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 16, 2012

Glad to see that you agree with me, aye. - ray76, Jan 16, 2012

close Ray je je - but rather than the reason, 'para qué' focuses on the purpose/intention/end result lol - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 16, 2012

Good explanation. - gringojrf, Jan 16, 2012

Thanx gringo :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 16, 2012

Answer 2

"¿Para qué se hizo este estudio?"

• What was this study done for? (To resolve the problem)

"¿Por qué se hizo este estudio?"

• Why did this study do? (Because there was a problem)

Answer 3

¿PARA QUÉ? AND ¿POR QUÉ?

¿PARA QUÉ?

• Question: ¿Para qué vas al dentista? Why are you going to the dentist? (For what purpose are you going to the dentist?)
• Answer: you go to the dentist to cure you teeth.
• ¿Para qué es eso? (What's that for?)

¿POR QUÉ?

• Question: ¿Por qué vas al dentista? Why are you going to the dentist? (What caused you to go to the dentist?)
• Answer: because you have a toothache.
• ¿Por qué es eso? (Why is that?)

Answer 4

¡Gracias todos ustedes su ayuda! Sus respuestas fueron muy útiles.

Thank you all for your help! Your answers were very helpful.

gracias A todos ... por su ayuda (sorry can't help myself je je ;) ) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 16, 2012

Heheh. I knew I left something out. ;) - Jadey7, Jan 17, 2012

Answer 5

Yes, you are correct. "Para qué" is a way to ask "what for" as opposed to "why." I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it's like asking "what was the study for" as opposed to "why did they do the study?"

"¿Para qué?" could be said "for what?"

"¿Por qué?" could be said "because of what?"

Basically, the meaning is very similar.

Answer 6

I agree with the others. I see "por qué" as why and "para qué" as what for or as Ray said, for what purpose/reason.

Why did they study this? - Por qué estudiaron esto? Porque... Because...

For what reason did they study this? - Para qué estudiaron esto? Para que... So that...

I HTH!

exactly : D - unMica, Jan 16, 2012

:) - Goldie_Miel, Jan 16, 2012

Answer 7

I think it nearly translates as "in order to do what, did they study this?" Or "why was this studied?" Might be better...you would be better able to find the meaning as you have more context clues.

Answer 8

I think because "por qué " means " why" para qué" means " what

= For what reason did you take this study . But wait for a Spanish native.