Meaning
Asks for the reason behind an event.
Formation
- The question word usually comes at the start, or right after the topic or a time word: どうして日本語を勉強しますか, 田中さんはどうして来ませんでしたか, 昨日なぜ休んだんですか
- The answer uses から or ので
- なぜ is bookish, なんで is colloquial
When to use it
- Core use
- Asks for the reason behind an event
Examples
13 sentences-
どうして日本語を勉強しますか
Why do you study Japanese?
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なぜ昨日休んだんですか
Why were you absent yesterday?
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どうして日曜日に会社へ行くのですか
Why are you going to the office on Sunday?
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どうして図書館へ行きますか
Why are you going to the library?
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なぜ駅へ行きますか
Why are you going to the station?
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なんで公園へ行きますか
Why are you going to the park?
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なぜ日本へ来ましたか
Why did you come to Japan?
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どうして昨日来なかったんですか
Why didn't you come yesterday?
5 more examples
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なんで窓を開けたんですか
Why did you open the window?
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どうして元気がないんですか
Why are you so down?
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なぜ毎朝公園を走るんですか
Why do you run in the park every morning?
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どうして傘を持っていないんですか
Why don't you have an umbrella with you?
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なんで食べないんですか
Why aren't you eating?
Important notes
- どうして is neutral, なぜ more formal or written, なんで colloquial. The answer usually ends with から or ので: 雨だからです.
Common mistakes
- They ask for a reason, not a method; 'how' is どうやって. なんで can also mean 'by what' in speech, so choose どうして when a clear 'why' matters.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
Hear it in podcasts
The pattern appears in these episodes. They open in the app with the transcript and translation.
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