Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Porque é que estudas português? — Porque a minha família mora em Lisboa. - Why do you study Portuguese?

Porque é que estudas português? — Porque a minha família mora em Lisboa.

Why do you study Portuguese? — Because my family lives in Lisbon.

Breakdown of Porque é que estudas português? — Porque a minha família mora em Lisboa.

Questions & Answers about Porque é que estudas português? — Porque a minha família mora em Lisboa.

Why does the question start with Porque é que instead of just Porque?

In Portuguese, questions asking "why" almost always use the phrase Porque é que (literally "why is it that"). You can technically use just Porque to ask why, but adding é que is much more natural and common in Portugal.

How do we know who is studying if there is no word for "you" in the sentence?

The verb ending tells you! Estudas is the informal "you" (tu) form of the verb estudar (to study). In Portuguese, it is very common to leave out pronouns like "I" or "you" because the verb itself already shows exactly who is doing the action.

Both the question and the answer use the word Porque. Does it mean both "why" and "because"?

Yes! Porque can mean "because" (as in the answer) or "why" (as in the question). When asking "why" at the beginning of a sentence, it is usually combined with é que, as seen here. Note: If "why" comes at the very end of a sentence, it is written differently, as porquê.

Why is there an a before minha família?