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The English Word of the Day: Why

The English Word of the Day: Why

8
votes

why

(interrogative pronoun) por qué

(adverb) por qué


Maestroantonio is enjoying a more than well-deserved short holiday, so we have to work extra hard these days on our sentences to make them as flawless as we can and also correct each other's sentences wherever we can!


Estamos buscando un corrector oficial de las frases en español para este hilo, así que si estás interesado, por favor envia un MP a rac1 o a mí.
Mientras tanto, maestroantonio se ha ofrecido amablemente a ayudarnos. Modifica tus frases según sus sugerencias, ¡por favor!
Hay muchos hablantes nativos de inglés aquí, entonces la mayoría de ellos puede ofrecer sugerencias a las frases en inglés. Voy a ayudar tanto como pueda, por supuesto.

Aquí están las directrices del juego:

  • Usa la palabra en una frase en inglés y añade la traducción al español. Intenta usar la palabra de una manera original.
  • Vota por las frases que más te gusten.
  • Escribe solamente frases que tengan, al menos, 5 palabras, pero no escribas párrafos con 4 frases o más
  • Haz las correcciones sugeridas por el corrector official.
  • ¡Usa tus propias palabras! (No uses el traductor, ni un libro, ni la letra de una canción.)
  • Por favor, verifica tu oración al menos una vez más antes de enviarla y corrige los errores innecesarios; eso aligería considerablemente el trabajo de nuestro corrector.
  • El ganador será elegido basándose en el uso correcto de la palabra, así como en la cantidad de votos.
  • Respeta las reglas de SpanishDict.
  • ¡Disfruta el juego y mantén siempre en mente que todos nosotros estamos aquí para aprender!

We are looking for an official corrector of the Spanish sentences for this thread, so if you are interested, please send a PM to either rac1 or me.
In the meantime maestroantonio has kindly offered to help us out. Please edit your sentences according to his suggestions!
As there are lots of native English speakers here, most of them can offer suggestions to the English sentences. I shall try to help as much as I can too, of course.

Here are the rules of the game:

  • Use the word in an English sentence and add the Spanish translation of that sentence. Try to use the word in an original way.
  • Vote for the sentences that you like most.
  • Write sentences of at least 5 words, but don't write paragraphs of 4 sentences or more.
  • Correct your sentences according to the suggestions of the corrector.
  • Use your own words (and don't use a translator, a book, lyrics of a song, ...)
  • Please, check your sentence at least one more time before sending it and correct your unnecessary errors; this would enlighten the task of our corrector considerably.
  • The winner will be chosen based upon the correct use of the word as well as the number of votes.
  • Respect the rules of SpanishDict.
  • Enjoy the game and always keep in mind that all of us are here to learn.

Mi frase/my sentence:

I have no idea why this young monkey is so sad, but he sure could use a good hug.

No tengo ni idea por qué este mono joven está tan triste, pero seguramente necesita un abrazo fuerte.

enter image description here

¿Has visto todas las contribuciones en 'The Word of the Day' de ayer? Todos los jugadores merecen tu atención (y votos).

Did you see all the entries of yesterday's Word of the Day? All players deserve your attention (and votes).

Message from maestroantonio:
"Les informo que no podré hacer mis labores de corrector en el foro del 1 al 4 de febrero, estaré de vacaciones."
2400 views
updated Feb 2, 2013
edited by mcl020
posted by mcl020
Aww...what an adorable little monkey :) - PumpkinCalabaza, Feb 1, 2013
Why just 5 votes till now?? - shish75, Feb 1, 2013
Thank you, pumpkin, And Shish: it would only be a problem if people were dissatisfied, but then they can pm me and we'll think of a solution. - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013

14 Answers

6
votes

Did you ever walk into a room and ask yourself why you walked in? ¿Anduvo alguna vez en el cuarto y se preguntó por qué entrar en?

updated Feb 2, 2013
edited by pmikan-pam
posted by pmikan-pam
that's because of the doors, especially the white ones - Aranjuez12, Feb 1, 2013
Yes, all the time! Good one! - PumpkinCalabaza, Feb 1, 2013
Far too often. - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013
Gracias amigo's it is good not to be alone! - pmikan-pam, Feb 1, 2013
It comes with age. - JoyceM, Feb 1, 2013
Gracias Joyce - pmikan-pam, Feb 1, 2013
pmk, would entrar work better? Hesitant offering as maestro is away! - annierats, Feb 1, 2013
Yes, pam, I have had that experience. And I do think annierats is right with her suggestion to use 'entrar'. - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
Sometimes you wonder what I was looking for also ? :). - shish75, Feb 1, 2013
I always wonder what I went upstairs for..Or downstairs, for that matter! - annierats, Feb 2, 2013
Gracias Annie and MC. - pmikan-pam, Feb 2, 2013
Many thanks to all of you! - pmikan-pam, Feb 2, 2013
6
votes

Why did some idiot have to break into my car and steal my ipod Monday night?

Por qué tuvo que algun idiota entrar a robar mi coche y me robar mi Ipod?

(I had a lot of trouble figuring out ´break into my car´, so corrections especially welcome on this one)

enter image description here

updated Feb 1, 2013
posted by rogspax
¡Qué mala suerte! - Aranjuez12, Feb 1, 2013
I hope this didn't happen! - pmikan-pam, Feb 1, 2013
I´m afraid it did. Unfortunately, this one is not hypothetical. - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013
Sorry to hear that rogspax. : ( - RichSean1725, Feb 1, 2013
I give you a sympathy vote. - annierats, Feb 1, 2013
Por qué me han robado el ipod? , whatever ipod is in Spanish, no idea. - annierats, Feb 1, 2013
Over here in Amsterdam everybody would be surprised if you asked THaT question, as not breaking into a car is less normal. Bad luck, rog ; - ( - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
Don't worry the most important thing that you are still ok !! - shish75, Feb 1, 2013
de acuerdo Shish! - Aranjuez12, Feb 1, 2013
Thanks gang. Very annoying, but I´ll get over it. I had such a crazy busy business week that I haven´t even had a chance to report it to my insurance yet. - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013
5
votes

"I had six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names were: Where, What, When, Why, How and Who."(Rudyard Kipling).

Tuve seis hombres honestos que sirve.Ellos me enseñaron todo lo que sabía. sus nombres eran: donde, qué, cuándo, por qué, cómo y que. enter image description here

updated Feb 2, 2013
posted by shish75
Who's on first? Just kidding. - rac1, Feb 1, 2013
poss: criadaos honrados?? - annierats, Feb 1, 2013
Great Shish! - pmikan-pam, Feb 1, 2013
:) shish - ian-hill, Feb 1, 2013
Quien for "who" right? - ian-hill, Feb 1, 2013
Thanks mis amigos !:). - shish75, Feb 1, 2013
They look suspiciously alike, Shisky ;-))) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
@Ian , It could be Quien or que !:). - shish75, Feb 1, 2013
@Mc who is shisky ,,,, lol :). - shish75, Feb 1, 2013
Hahahahaha, Shisky = Shishy = Shish ;-))))) - mcl020, Feb 2, 2013
4
votes

¿Por qué seguimos tener tantos bebés cuando no podemos alimentar los que ya tenemos? No es buenas noticias para el futuro.

Why do we continue to have so many babies when we can't feed the ones we already have? It is not good news for the future.

enter image description here

updated Feb 2, 2013
edited by Noetol
posted by Noetol
Another one of those difficult world questions .... Worst of all that we don't even try to feed them all. Overweight and starvation are both in the top 10 of causes of deaths. - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
good phrase indeed, but how can we be human when we still act like animals with a thin layer of society covering our souls - Aranjuez12, Feb 1, 2013
4
votes

Why me? Why not?

¿Por qué yo? ¿Por qué no yo?

enter image description here

updated Feb 2, 2013
posted by JoyceM
This left me speechless ... - mcl020, Feb 2, 2013
I believe that the human condition is to ask this question. Our challenge is to rise above the problems that seem to overwhelm us and to encourage others in the resolution of their problems. - JoyceM, Feb 2, 2013
4
votes

¿Por qué no me dan tus votos ? Por favor mis amigos .

Why not give me your votes ? Please mates.

enter image description here

updated Feb 2, 2013
edited by ray76
posted by ray76
You've got my vote, ray, but Hillary on the other hand .... mwahhh ..... - mcl020, Feb 2, 2013
I vote for both! - mstivers, Feb 2, 2013
Thanks guys , so do I mstivers. - ray76, Feb 2, 2013
Consider it done amigo! - pmikan-pam, Feb 2, 2013
4
votes

‘Let’s go to the cinema.’ ‘Why not?’

"Vamos al cine". "¿Por qué no?"

 photo casablanca.jpg

updated Feb 2, 2013
edited by ian-hill
posted by ian-hill
I'l come! - annierats, Feb 1, 2013
Looks like the start of a beautiful friendship.! - Noetol, Feb 1, 2013
Have fun, ian and annie ;-))) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
4
votes

Muchas veces me pregunto por qué comemos tantas porquerías qué no es ningún escandalo cuando damos cuenta de que nuestras hamburguesas son hechos de carne de caballo.

I often ask myself why we eat such a lot of rubbish , that it's not even a scandal, when we discover that our hamburgers are made of horse-meat.

updated Feb 2, 2013
edited by annierats
posted by annierats
A minor Eurpean shock, it has been discovered that cheap beefburgers contain horse dna, pig dna, possibly human dna.. - annierats, Feb 1, 2013
Are you trying to shut down Burger king etc Annie? Do remember the rumour about McDonald's high protein worm farm? :) - ian-hill, Feb 1, 2013
One step away from Soylent Green! :0)) - Noetol, Feb 1, 2013
Possibly because not too many people really care, as long as they can get their food cheap. And because the foodproviders really don't care as long as they can make money. typo: hamburguesas - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
Thanks mlc. Yes, indeed, cheapnessis all.. It's Tescos, mainly, Ian. And Aldi. - annierats, Feb 2, 2013
4
votes

Some men see things as they are and ask why; I dream things that never were and ask why not?

Algunos hombres ven las cosas como son y se preguntan por qué; yo sueño cosas que nunca fueron y pregunto ¿por qué no?

enter image description here

~ George Bernard Shaw

updated Feb 1, 2013
posted by rac1
Buena filosofĂ­a - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013
Good one! - JoyceM, Feb 1, 2013
Gracias amigos! - rac1, Feb 1, 2013
Beautiful, rac1. A thing I cannot say about his eyebrows ;-) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
Lol, thanks, MC! - rac1, Feb 1, 2013
3
votes

enter image description here

¿Por qué nací en el único país en el que no hay aficionados de fútbol?

Why was I born in the only country where there are no soccer fans?

updated Feb 2, 2013
posted by mstivers
Lol! Poor guy! - mcl020, Feb 2, 2013
3
votes

¿Por qué las aves aparecen de repente cada vez que se encuentre cerca? Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? enter image description here

updated Feb 2, 2013
posted by RichSean1725
Because birds happen to love seafood ;-) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
lol Gracias. - RichSean1725, Feb 2, 2013
3
votes

Me parece que la pregunta ¿Por qué? a menudo queda sin solución y la respuesta sería "no tengo ni idea" pero para mucha gente eso no está bastante bueno. Cada persona se quiere su respuesta para seguir con su camino de vida.

It seem to me that the queston Why? often remains unanswered and the response should be " I don't have any idea" but for many people that is not good enough. Every person wants his answer in order to continue with their road of life.

enter image description here

updated Feb 1, 2013
edited by Aranjuez12
posted by Aranjuez12
Very deep Aran :-) - pmikan-pam, Feb 1, 2013
Great pic! - rogspax, Feb 1, 2013
Good one, Aran! - rac1, Feb 1, 2013
Aran, I just started on a course in philosophy and I think you should join me ;-) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
gracias a todo. @MC mmmm but only if it is in Spanish ;-) - Aranjuez12, Feb 1, 2013
we'll translate it ourselves ;-) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
You really don't want to know how much reading 'stuff' it is. - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
3
votes

Los Niños siempre preguntan..."¿Por qué...?, ¿Por qué....? ¿"Por qué...?"

Children always ask "Why...?", "Why...", "Why...", "Why....?"

updated Feb 1, 2013
posted by gohern
Yes, they do ;-) - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013
3
votes

One of the biggest questions in life is "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Una de las preguntas más importantes de la vida es "¿Por qué le suceden cosas malas a la gente buena?"

enter image description here

updated Feb 1, 2013
posted by PumpkinCalabaza
no one will ever know Pumpkin.......unfortunately - Aranjuez12, Feb 1, 2013
For things like this there cannot be any valid reason! - mcl020, Feb 1, 2013