JLPT N5 · Reference, existence, and questions

どうして/なぜ/なんで

Asks for the reason behind an event

Meaning

Asks for the reason behind an event.

Formation

  1. The question word opens the sentence: どうして日本語を勉強しますか
  2. The answer uses から or ので
  3. なぜ is bookish, なんで is colloquial

When to use it

Core use
Asks for the reason behind an event

Example

どうして日本語にほんご勉強べんきょうます

Why do you study Japanese?

Important notes

  • Word forms and particle choice depend on the pattern's role in the sentence.

Common mistakes

  • Do not reorder or reshape the highlighted parts to match English word order.

Similar grammar

    All N5 grammarOpen in the app