Example: Pourquoi donc as-tu quitté la fête si tôt ?
Definition
"Pourquoi donc ?" is a French expression used to ask for the reason or cause behind something, often conveying curiosity or surprise. It can be translated as 'Why then?' or 'Why on earth?' and is commonly used to inquire about someone's actions or decisions, as in "Pourquoi donc as-tu quitté la fête si tôt?"
Translations
Why is that?
¿Y por qué?
Hoezo?
Per què?
Warum denn?
Etymology
The phrase "Pourquoi donc ?" combines "pourquoi," meaning 'why,' derived from Old French 'pour quoi' (for what), and "donc," an adverb used for emphasis meaning 'then' or 'therefore.' The addition of "donc" adds a tone of insistence or curiosity to the simple question "pourquoi." Did you know? The word "donc" originally comes from Latin 'deinde,' meaning 'then' or 'next.'
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"Pourquoi donc ?" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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Why is that?