Basic linkers (porque, entonces, pero)

No fui a la fiesta porque estaba enfermo. (I didn't go to the party because I was sick.) One little word, and two short sentences become one connected thought. A handful of these linkers cover most of what a conversation needs: explaining why, showing what happened as a result, and pointing out a contrast.

Quick shortcut: porque → gives a reason (why). entonces / por eso → gives a result (so, that's why). pero → gives a contrast (but).

Porque: giving a reason

Porque answers the question ¿por qué? (why?) and introduces the reason for something. It normally introduces a clause with a conjugated verb — though, like in most Spanish sentences, the subject itself is often left unsaid.

• No fui a la fiesta porque estaba enfermo. (I didn't go to the party because I was sick.)
• Estudio español porque quiero viajar a México. (I'm studying Spanish because I want to travel to Mexico.)
• ¿Por qué llegas tarde? — Porque perdí el autobús. (Why are you arriving late? — Because I missed the bus.)

One common fixed exception: ¿Por qué no vienes? — Porque sí (Why aren't you coming? — Just because), where porque sí doesn't spell out a specific reason — it's a set phrase meaning "just because."

Entonces and por eso: giving a result

When one thing leads to another, Spanish reaches for entonces or por eso — both roughly "so" or "that's why," pointing from a cause toward its result (the opposite direction from porque).

• Estaba enfermo, entonces no fui a la fiesta. (I was sick, so I didn't go to the party.)
• Perdí el autobús, por eso llegué tarde. (I missed the bus, that's why I arrived late.)
• No tengo dinero, entonces no puedo comprarlo. (I don't have money, so I can't buy it.)

Entonces and por eso are largely interchangeable at this level; entonces also has a separate, very common use meaning "then" in a sequence of events (Primero desayuno, entonces salgo de casa — First I have breakfast, then I leave the house), which is worth recognizing even though this lesson focuses on its "so" meaning.

Pero: showing a contrast

Pero connects two ideas where the second one contrasts with or qualifies the first — "but."

• Quería ir a la fiesta, pero estaba enfermo. (I wanted to go to the party, but I was sick.)
• El libro es interesante, pero muy largo. (The book is interesting, but very long.)
• Hablo español, pero no muy bien. (I speak Spanish, but not very well.)

Common mistakes

• ❌ No fui porqué estaba enfermo. → ✅ No fui porque estaba enfermo. (the reason is one word, no accent: porque)
• ❌ ¿Por que llegas tarde? → ✅ ¿Por qué llegas tarde? (the question word is two words, with an accent on qué)
• ❌ No sé el porque. → ✅ No sé el porqué. (the noun meaning "the reason" is one word, written porqué, with an accent — different again from both of the above)
• ❌ Estaba enfermo, porque no fui a la fiesta (using porque to introduce a result instead of a reason) → ✅ Estaba enfermo, entonces no fui a la fiesta. (a result needs entonces or por eso, not porque)

There's a fourth, rarer spelling too: por que (two words, no accent), the preposition por followed by the relative pronoun que — as in La razón por que no vino (The reason for which he didn't come). It's uncommon enough at this level that mixing it up with the other three isn't the mistake to worry about yet; porque, por qué and porqué cover the vast majority of everyday cases.

Quick check

Choose porque, entonces/por eso, or pero:

1. Me gusta el café, ___ no el té.
2. Llovía mucho, ___ nos quedamos en casa.
3. Compré este libro ___ me lo recomendó mi amiga.
4. No hablo francés, ___ entiendo un poco de italiano.

Key takeaways

• Porque introduces a reason — it answers "why," and is normally followed by a clause with a conjugated verb.
• Entonces and por eso introduce a result — they point from a cause to its effect, the opposite direction from porque.
• Pero introduces a contrast — "but."
• Porque (reason, one word, no accent), por qué (question word, two words, accented) and porqué (the noun "the reason," one word, accented) are the three spellings that matter most at this level — mixing them up is one of the most common written mistakes.