Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| comment se fait-il que | formal | |
| comment se fait-ce que | formal | |
| comment ça se fait que | colloquial | |
| pourquoi | /puʁ.kwa/ |
While pourquoi is the standard translation for "why", the expressions comment se fait-il que and comment ça se fait que specifically capture the nuance of "how come" by questioning the process or circumstances that led to a particular situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal phrase comment se fait-il que literally translates to "how does it happen that".
Which one should you use?
pourquoi is the direct translation for "why", whereas the comment se fait-il que forms focus on the way a situation came to be.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
comment se fait-il que and comment se fait-ce que are formal ways to express "how come". The phrase comment ça se fait que is the natural colloquial equivalent, while comment ça se fait is an informal expression for "how come".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cajun French, you may encounter the variation Pourquoi que.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both the formal comment se fait-il que and the colloquial comment ça se fait que must be followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood.
Did you know?
- The word que is a distant relative of the English word 'what', as both trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷid.
- In very formal French, comment se fait-il que is often preferred over pourquoi because it sounds more indirect and polite when questioning someone's actions.
- While pourquoi is the standard word for 'why', the phrase comment ça se fait que is used when the speaker is genuinely surprised or finds the situation illogical.
Examples in context
- Pourquoi ne dis-tu rien ?How come you say nothing?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of pourquoi to ask why someone is silent.Tatoeba #6541315 by felix63, translation #38681 by AlanF_US
- Pourquoi n'as-tu rien dit ?How come you didn't say anything?This sentence shows how to use pourquoi to ask why someone didn't say anything.Tatoeba #15128 by nimfeo, translation #36409 by CK
- Pourquoi es-tu si en retard?How come you're so late?This sentence demonstrates using pourquoi to ask why someone is late.Tatoeba #6384364 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6384127 by OsoHombre
- Comment se fait-il que vous soyez en retard ?How come you're late?
- Comment ça se fait que tu ne viennes pas à la fête ?How come you're not coming to the party?
- Pourquoi que t'es pas venu à la fête ?How come you didn't come to the party?
- 84 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are discussing a missing document at work.
- ChloéComment se fait-il que ce dossier ait disparu ?How come this file has disappeared?
- HugoJe n'en ai aucune idée, Chloé.I have no idea, Chloé.
- ChloéComment se fait-il que personne ne sache ?How come nobody knows?
- HugoNous allons chercher ensemble, Hugo promet.We will look for it together, Hugo promises.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how come” translations and entries pourquoi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, que, se, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
