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Trato de ayudarla +preposición+ no se deprima.

Which form of "because" would you use to fill in the blank in the sentence to complete it?

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    "Trato de ayudarla por que no se prima" is incorrect. I guess it should be "Trato de ayudarla para que no se deprima". Sentence too is translated to "S/he asked why s/he had come". Same use as in sentence 3: "I don't know why you have rejected that position".
    – Lucas
    Commented Sep 28, 2014 at 8:54
  • @Lucas I wasn't sure whether the sentence is incorrect.
    – user5482
    Commented Sep 28, 2014 at 22:09
  • I fixed the question to reflect the problem I have.
    – user5482
    Commented Sep 28, 2014 at 22:24
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    @Drew with the new form, it'll need to be para que unless you mean deprime. Are you trying to help to keep her from getting depressed, or helping her because she isn't getting depressed?
    – user0721090601
    Commented Sep 28, 2014 at 23:10
  • I understand that you must use para que. I'm right about the deprima because para que must follow subjunctive. I'm trying to help keep her from getting depressed.
    – user5482
    Commented Sep 29, 2014 at 0:31

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Para rellenar la frase "Trato de ayudarla _ no se deprima" no se usa ninguna de las opciones (porque, por qué, etc). En cambio, se dice:

"Trato de ayudarla para que no se deprima" (In english it might be "I try to help her so she doesn't depress")

Podría usarse "porque" en esta otra frase: "Trato de ayudarla porque está deprimida" ("I try to help her because she is depressed"), pero significa otra cosa.

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Please, check the RAE for a deep explanation of this.

You use por qué as two words and with the accents for questions:

Por qué es eso así?

Me pregunto por qué Jorge está tan enfadado.

Or in exclamation:

Por qué sitios más bonitos hemos pasado de camino aquí!

Using por que in a question is a misspelling. You need the accent.

You use porque, as a single word and without the accent to explain something.

Por qué llora el bebé? Llora porque tiene tiene hambre.

Porqué, is a noun.

No comprendo el porqué de ese razonamiento. No comprendo el porqué (la razón) de eso.

Por que is the use of the preposition and the relative pronoun que, which is quite complex.

Esa es la razón por que llora el bebé = Esa es la razón por la que llora el bebé.

But, please, check the link I gave you. It is really good. If you have problems understating that in Spanish tell us and we can help with some translations of those rules.

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  • If you had to complete the sentence, Trato de ayudarla _ no se deprima, would you use porque, por qué, porqué, o por que? If you had to complete the sentence, Le avisé con tiempo _ viniera antes, which form of because would you use?
    – user5482
    Commented Sep 28, 2014 at 22:18
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    @Drew you need para que in both instances.
    – user0721090601
    Commented Sep 28, 2014 at 23:26
  • unrelated, where would the accent mark go on "decirmelo"?
    – user5482
    Commented Sep 29, 2014 at 1:11
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The quick rule:

porque = because

por qué = why

This is not the full story, though; see Diego's answer.

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