why
gb/wˈaɪ/ us/wˈaɪ/
A1
Englisch
~ 200
miért, hát, nahát, ok, indok, valaminek a miértje
A1
1
miért
A1
Verwendungsmuster:
why [auxiliary verb] [subject] [verb]?
Why did you leave so early?
Miért mentél el ilyen korán?
Why is the sky blue?
Miért kék az ég?
Why are you upset about this?
Why should we trust them?
Why is he always late?
Beispiele für Lernende
Why is she happy?
Miért boldog?
Why do you like cats?
Miért szereted a macskákat?
Why are they here?
Why is it cold today?
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners sometimes confuse 'why' with 'how' when asking about the manner of something instead of the reason.
Bedeutung
for what reason or purpose
Wortverbindungen
why not
|why bother
|why is that
Synonyme
how come (Informal equivalent often used in spoken English; less formal than 'why'.)
Antonyme
because (Provides the answer to a 'why' question, expressing cause or reason.)
Themen
communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to ask the reason for something.
Used to ask about the reason for something or the purpose behind it.
B1
2
Why, I didn’t expect to see you here!
Nahát, nem számítottam rá, hogy itt látlak!
Why, that’s exactly what I was thinking.
Hát, ez pontosan az, amire én is gondoltam.
Why, that’s not fair at all!
Beispiele für Lernende
Why, you are here!
Nahát, itt vagy!
Why, that is strange.
Hát, ez furcsa.
Why, I did not know that.
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners may confuse this with the question word 'why' rather than recognizing it as an exclamation.
Bedeutung
expression of surprise or protest
Wortverbindungen
Why, that’s amazing!
|Why, I never!
Synonyme
well (Similar in expressing mild surprise or reaction, but broader in use.)
Themen
emotions
|communication
Definition
Said when you are surprised or do not agree.
Used to express mild surprise, disbelief, or protest.
NOMEN
B2
3
Verwendungsmuster:
the why of [something]
I don’t understand the why behind his actions.
Nem értem a tettei mögött meghúzódó okot.
The teacher explained the why and how of the experiment.
A tanár elmagyarázta a kísérlet miértjét és hogyanját.
She never told me the why of her decision.
Beispiele für Lernende
I know the why of his choice.
Ismerem a döntése okát.
Tell me the why of this rule.
Mondd el, mi az oka ennek a szabálynak.
We learned the why and how in class.
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners may overuse this noun form; in many cases 'reason' is more natural.
Bedeutung
reason or explanation for something
Wortverbindungen
the whys and wherefores
|no why given
Synonyme
reason (More common and general term for an explanation.)
Antonyme
result (Focuses on the outcome rather than the cause.)
Themen
communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The reason something happens or is done.
The reason or explanation for something.
Grammatik
Grundform
why
IPA
GB/wˈaɪ/
US/wˈaɪ/
Silben & Betonung
why (1 Silbe)
Stress on 1st syllable (why)
Wortformen
Noun
- Base: why
- Plural: whies
Wortfamilie
Forms
whies
noun
Related words
explain
verb A2
explanation
noun A2
Ausdrücke
the whys and wherefores
1/ðə wˈaɪz ˈænd wˈɛɹəfˈɔɹz/
fixed phrase
reasons and explanations for something
The reasons and explanations for something.
Beispiele
- He explained the whys and wherefores of his plan.
- She didn’t care about the whys and wherefores; she just wanted results.
why bother
1/wˈaɪ bˈɑðɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
questioning if effort is worth it
Used when you think doing something is not worth the effort.
Beispiele
- It’s going to rain all day, so why bother cleaning the car?
- Nobody listens to him, so why bother talking?
why not
1/wˈaɪ nˈɑt/
fixed phrase
suggesting acceptance or possibility
Used to suggest that something is a good idea or there is no reason against it.
Beispiele
- "Let’s go to the park." "Why not?"
- You could apply for the job—why not?