なんで
nande[nã̠nde̞]
The Japanese word for "why" can be expressed as なんで (nande), どうして or なぜ.
Meaning: (interrogative) for what reason (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| なんで | nande | [nã̠nde̞] (narrow) |
| どうして | dōshite | [do̞ːɕite̞] (narrow) |
These words are used as interrogatives to ask for a reason.
Which one should you use?
なんで is the go-to phrase for expressing "why" in casual conversations and is more casual and conversational than どうして. どうして is more polite and suitable for formal situations than なんで. なぜ is a slightly more formal expression often used in written language or formal speeches. Additionally, the kanji form 何故 is a synonym of どうして that is predominantly used in formal written language and may come across as old-fashioned.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The related forms 何故 and どうして can also function as nouns meaning "the reason".
How do you pronounce it?
nande
Did you know?
- Japanese often omits the word for 'why' entirely in a question, relying instead on a specific rising intonation and a particle like の to imply a request for a reason.
- While なんで asks 'why', it can be confused with the phrase 何で which can also mean 'by what means' or 'using what tool'. The meaning is determined entirely by the context of the conversation.
- In Japanese, asking 'why' directly can sometimes be perceived as an interrogation or a challenge to the person's logic. To be more polite, speakers often use indirect phrases to ask for a reason without using the word 'why' itself.
Examples in context
- でもなんで？But why?This sentence shows how to use なんで to ask "But why?" in a simple way.Tatoeba #1057336 by bunbuku, translation #457594 by FeuDRenais
- なんで聞くの？Why do you ask?This sentence uses なんで to ask for the reason behind a question.Tatoeba #4789 by bunbuku, translation #1368 by CK
- なんでなんだ？Why?This sentence uses なんで to express a strong or direct "Why?"Tatoeba #10979887 by small_snow, translation #36419 by Eldad
- どうして遅れたんですか？Why were you late?
- なぜそれを選びましたか？Why did you choose that one?
- 何故勉強しなかったのですか？Why didn't you study?
- なんで行かないの？Why aren't you going?
- どうしてそんなことを言ったの？Why did you say such a thing?
- 1082 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking in the living room about a sudden plan change.
- 陽葵 Himariなんで急に帰るの？Nande kyuu ni kaeru no?Why are you going home so suddenly?
- 蓮 Ren急用が入っちゃったんだ。Kyuuyou ga haichatta nda.Something urgent came up.
- 陽葵 Himariそんなに急いでるの？Sonna ni isoideru no?Are you in such a hurry?
- 蓮 Renうん、ごめんね。Un, gomen ne.Yeah, sorry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries なんで, どうして, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
