no pudo ir porque estaba enferma she couldn't go because she was ill; ¿por qué no contestas? —porque no me da la gana "why don't you answer?" — "because I don't feel like it"; —¿por qué te vas? —porque sí "why are you going?" — "just because"; —¿por qué no puedo ir? —porque no "why can't I go?" — "just because"

2 (para que) so that; in order that

elevó la voz porque todos pudieran oírlo he raised his voice so that everyone could hear him o in order that everyone might hear him; recemos porque vuelvan let us pray that they may return

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Examples

Phrases

porque no	just because
no puedo ver bien porque hace sol	I can't see well because the sun is shining
y eso porque	and that's because
pero porque	but because
hoy tengo sueño porque me acosté muy tarde anoche	I'm sleepy today because I went to bed very late last night
porque dices eso	because you say that
porque si	because if
hoy tengo sueño porque	I'm sleepy today because
porque sus amigos están muy lejos	because his friends are far away
no puedo salir a tomar el sol porque	I can't go out to sunbathe because
pero tengo ganas de estar contigo porque	but I feel like being with you because
no porque	not because
no, porque	no, because
porque me gusta	because I like it because I like him
los viajeros están preocupados porque	the passengers are worried because
porque no encuentra el libro que busca	because he can't find the book he's looking for
porque lo dices	because you say so
estudio biología porque hay un examen mañana	I'm studying biology because there's an exam tomorrow
si porque	if because
porque, de todos modos	because, in any case