weswegen
Translation
why, for what reason
Examples
Weswegen bist du so spät?
Why are you so late?
Ich weiß nicht, weswegen er gekündigt hat.
I don't know why he resigned.
Grammar Patterns
((as interrogative adverb)) why, for what reason Weswegen hast du das getan?
((as relative adverb)) which is why, for which reason Er nannte den Grund, weswegen er fehlte.
Similar Words
Synonyms: warum, wieso, weshalb; Antonyms: darum, deswegen, deshalb
Etymology
Composed of 'wes-' (genitive of 'was', meaning 'what') and '-wegen' (meaning 'because of'). Literally 'because of what?'.
Memory Tips
Remember that 'wegen' means 'because of'. So, 'weswegen' is asking 'because of what?'. It's often used in more formal contexts than 'warum'.