Expressing purpose with "pour"
In English, we often just use "to" followed by a verb to explain our goals or intentions (for example, "I study to pass"). In French, you must use pour followed by an infinitive verb. You can think of it as meaning "in order to".
| I have to study to pass my exam. | Je dois étudier pour réussir mon examen. |
| The student must do this exercise to succeed. | L'étudiant doit faire cet exercice pour réussir. |
| You have to speak to practice a language. | Il faut parler pour pratiquer une langue. |
Answering "pourquoi"
The French word for "why", pourquoi, literally translates to "for what" (pour + quoi). Because of this, using pour to state your purpose is a very natural way to answer a "why" question.
| Why are you reading this book? | Pourquoi est-ce que tu lis ce livre ? |
| I am reading this book to practice my French. | Je lis ce livre pour pratiquer mon français. |
Self-improvement and health
You will often use this structure to talk about self-improvement goals, like improving your health (améliorer sa santé) or resting (se reposer).
| We are going to the park to run together. | Nous allons au parc pour courir ensemble. |
| Do you have to do sports to improve your health? | Est-ce qu'il faut faire du sport pour améliorer sa santé ? |
When you use a reflexive verb like se reposer after pour, remember that you still need to change the reflexive pronoun to match the person doing the action (for example, using me when talking about yourself).
| I am staying here to rest and improve my sleep. | Je reste ici pour me reposer et améliorer mon sommeil. |
