why

/waɪ/

to ask for a reason or explanation

Why did you leave so early?

This asks for the reason behind someone's early departure.

general

used to ask for a reason or explanation

Why is the sky blue?

This asks for the scientific explanation of the sky's color.

Why did you choose this path?

This asks for the motivation behind a decision.

Often used in questions to seek understanding or clarification.

Collocations

why notused to suggest an alternative or encourage actionwhy botherused to express that something is not worth the effort

used to suggest an alternative or encourage action

used to express that something is not worth the effort

In questions, 'why' is often followed by a subject and a verb (e.g., 'Why did you leave?').

'Why' is used to form direct questions seeking reasons or explanations.

Old English 'hwȳ', from Proto-Germanic 'hwī', meaning 'how' or 'in what way'.

Can be used in both formal and informal contexts. Often paired with 'do' in questions (e.g., 'Why do you think so?').

why

interrogative pronoun asking for a reason

root

English Dictionary