# מדוע / למה



## JLanguage

It seems to me that they are pretty much interchangeable. Do you agree?

Thanks,
-Jonathan.


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## morgoth2604

מדוע זאת מילה הרבה יותר "על רמה" מאשר למה. למה זאת מילה שמשתמשים בה, אבל בספרות הייתי מניח שתתיקל יותר ב"מדוע"


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## jdotjdot89

*>>> NEW QUESTION - threads merged by moderator <<<*​
I have been trying to explain to my friend the difference  in connotation between למה and מדוע, but I'm failing miserably.

Two questions:
1) In your use of the word, do you find that one has a slightly different connotation than the other?  I've had people answer both yes and not to this.
2) If so, can you help me explain exactly what the difference is?


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## cfu507

Hi,
1) there is no difference between them, in my opinion. I would (maybe) say that מדוע is in higher register than למה. The use of מדוע is just less common, that's all.


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## Tamar

I totaly agree with cfu


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## Tararam

No difference between the two...
"Madua" is a formal version of "Lama", it's usually used in writing.
You would often hear Madua in spoken language when the situation requires a certain degree of formality (interviews, newscasts, stories). Also, you will use Madua if you want to sound corny or just humorous   - it's fun.


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## Aoyama

But then,  could one also undertand למה as _léma _meaning "what for" ?


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## Tamar

> But then, could one also undertand למה as _léma _meaning "what for" ?


There is no reason to confuse [lama] with [lema]. There's always a context, so there's no problem in reading it right.


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## MarX

Tamar said:


> There is no reason to confuse [lama] with [lema]. There's always a context, so there's no problem in reading it right.


Isn't _láma_ stressed on the first syllable, whereas _lema_ is stressed on the last?
But they are written the same indeed.


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## elroy

MarX said:


> Isn't _láma_ stressed on the first syllable, whereas _lema_ is stressed on the last?
> But they are written the same indeed.


 Yes, and yes, they are.


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## MarX

Thanks!


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## Gadyc

cfu507 said:


> Hi,
> 1) there is no difference between them, in my opinion. I would (maybe) say that מדוע is in higher register than למה. The use of מדוע is just less common, that's all.


 
I don't agree.

Lama = literally "for what?" reffers to the aim of the action.
Madua' = "why" what is the reason.. what is the cause..

Colloquially, often substitued, but clear difference between the both !!


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## Ali Smith

MarX said:


> Isn't _láma_ stressed on the first syllable, whereas _lema_ is stressed on the last?
> But they are written the same indeed.


למה is stressed on the first syllable when it is vocalized לָמָּה but on the second syllable when it is vocalized לָמָה.

לָמָה is used when the following word begins with ח, ה, or ע, while לָ֫מָּה is used everywhere else.


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## Abaye

Ali Smith said:


> לָמָה is used when the following word begins with ח, ה, or ע, while לָ֫מָּה is used everywhere else.


If it's about biblical:
וַיֹּאמֶר השם אֶל קָיִן לָ*מָּ*ה *חָ*רָה לָךְ וְלָמָּה נָפְלוּ פָנֶיךָ
לָ*מָ*ה *אָ*מַרְתָּ אֲחֹתִי הִיא


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