Do you know how to say "Why?" in Japanese? In this article, we will talk about the two most popular ways to express why and their differences, we will talk about the famous "doushite" [どうして], "naze"[何故] and nande [なんで].
Previously, we wrote an article talking about the differences between nande, nani, nanda and derivatives. Where they mean "what?", "which", "how", etc. We also briefly mentioned doushite and naze.
Table of Content
What does Doushite mean?
Depending on the situation, Doushite [如何して] can mean why; for what reason; for what purpose; for what; how; in what way; by what means. Doushite is not so formal, but it is also not informal.
The word doushite also has other uses and completions. You can say for example, doushitemo [どうしても] which means no matter how; by all means; at any cost; certainly; in no way; in no case; whether you like it or not; eventually, etc.
The ideogram [如] present in doushite [如何して] conveys a meaning of resemblance, such as, as if, better, and equal. There is also the word ikan [如何] written with the same ideograms and means how, in what way, and circumstances.
The word doushite [どうして] is literally the combination of the word dou [どう] which means how; in what way, along with shite [して] which is the verb suru. In fact, there is the word dousuru [どうする] which means "What to do?".
There are variations like doushita and doushitano [どうしたの] that mean "What's the problem?", "What's wrong?", "What happened?", "What occurred?" and "Somehow"...
What does Nand mean?
This is the most comprehensive way to say why, also the most informal. It should not be confused with nandesuka [なんですか], since the one present in the expression refers to the particle de [で].
The nande is the most informal way of all. You should only use it among close friends and in very informal situations. The doushite sounds a bit more informal and can indeed be used with teachers, bosses, and older people, as long as you have a bit of familiarity.
There are other expressions derived from nande such as nandemonai [なんでもない] which means it's nothing or insignificant. One should not confuse nande with nanda [なんだ] which means "what?".
What does naze mean?
Depending on the situation, Naze [何故] means why; how; in what way; for what reason. This is the most formal way to express because or how. This form is not used with close friends or depending on the situation.
If you need to be much more formal, please use nazedesuka [何故ですか] instead of just naze. It might be a little rude to use just naze in a very formal situation.
The word nazenara [なぜなら] literally means reason and because. The expression nazeka [なぜか] is not a question and means some form; for some reason; without knowing why and for the reason.
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What is the difference between Naze x Doushite and NANDE?
Although both mean almost the same thing, naze seems to be more of a reason than doushite. The word doushite is more informal and can convey the idea of "how" or "how so?".
Doushite ends up being used when talking directly to someone, when you directly ask the person what happened or what the problem is. Already naze is used as a simple why.
You won't say doushite when your boss doesn't want to raise your salary. You can say doushite if your boss is going through some situation, you have some intimacy and are trying to understand what happened and why he is upset.
Reaffirming and summarizing: Naze is closer to why and dohshite is closer to how... Nande is quite informal and chaotic, but it is very common to hear.
Think on the bright side, at least we don't have 4 whys in Japanese the same as in English. Fortunately, the why options do not force us to understand the writing and form of the sentence. Just remember the best time to use.
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