përse

Përse is an Albanian interrogative word meaning "why" or "for what reason." It is used to inquire about cause, motive, or justification and can appear at the start of a sentence or clause, often in more formal or literary contexts.

In contemporary standard Albanian, pse is the more common form in everyday speech and informal writing, while përse tends to be found in formal writing, literary texts, or older orthography. Some grammars describe përse as a variant or archaic spelling of pse, though both forms are generally understood by speakers.

Etymology and function: the term is built from the preposition për, meaning "for," and the conjunction se, meaning "that," yielding a sense of asking about a reason. It functions as an interrogative adverb used to request explanation for an action, event, or situation.

Usage notes: the choice between pse and përse can reflect register, with përse signaling formality or antiquity in some contexts. In speech, many Albanian speakers default to pse, especially in questions formed without a leading preface. Both forms answer the same semantic need: asking about cause or motive.

Examples: Përse ndodhi kjo? "Why did this happen?" Pse nuk erdhët sot? "Why didn’t you come today?" While both forms are understood, pse is generally more common in casual conversation, and përse may appear in written Albanian or in regions with traditional usage.