varför

Varför is a Swedish interrogative word meaning "why." It is used to ask about reasons, causes, or motives, and can introduce both direct questions and dependent clauses. In direct questions, varför typically comes at the beginning: Varför gör du det? In indirect questions, it appears after verbs of thinking or asking: Jag undrar varför han kom.

Etymology and related forms: Varför is formed from var, meaning "where," and för, meaning "for," in a construction that historically signified "for what reason." This compound is unique to Swedish among the Scandinavian languages, where equivalents such as Norwegian hvorfor and Danish hvorfor are used. The Swedish form varför is written as a single word, with the ö vowel in för.

Usage notes: Varför is versatile in both formal and informal Swedish. It can introduce questions about motives, explanations, or purposes, and it can be combined with other words to create emphasis, such as varför inte meaning "why not." It appears in various registers, from everyday speech to written prose, and can appear at the start of a clause or mid-sentence for emphasis or style.

Examples:

- Varför är himlen blå? (Why is the sky blue?)

- Jag frågade varför han kom. (I asked why he came.)

- Varför inte försöka igen? (Why not try again?)

See also: Swedish interrogatives vad (what), hur (how), när (when), vem (who), var (where), and the cognate forms in Norwegian (hvorfor) and Danish (hvorfor).