Structure
なぜ + Question
Details
Adverb
Independent Word
Standard
About なぜ
なぜ is the formal way to ask 'why' in Japanese. It is often seen in writing, formal speeches, or in serious situations when asking for a logical reason or cause for something. As it is direct and formal, it can sound slightly stiff in everyday casual conversation.
Of the three common ways to say 'why' in Japanese, なぜ is the most formal, followed by どうして, with なんで being the most casual.
Fun Fact
Although slightly rarer, なぜ may also be seen in its kanji form 何故, literally meaning 'what cause'. As with a lot of words which are normally written in kana but may sometimes be written in kanji, 何故 will more typically be seen in more formal or literary writing.
Topics
Who? And Why, Why, Why?
N5 Topic
In this Topic, we're going to learn about question words and also look at Japanese question patterns in more detail, combining a variety of grammar points we already know.
Synonyms
Vocab Coverage
All Bunpro Vocab that appears on this item.
Examples
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なぜ雪は白いの？
Why is snow white?
なぜあの海は汚い？
Why is that sea dirty?
なぜここに猫がいるの？
Why is there a cat here?
なぜ水を買ったんですか？
Why did you buy water?
なぜ、彼は面白いの？
Why is he funny?
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Self-Study Sentences
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なぜ – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (4 in total)
The111
Why is this a hard failure?
Fuga
Hey @The111 !
This works here, so I have added it to the list of answers we accept! Thank you for letting us know about this!
The111
Thank you!