なぜ
why
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
なぜ遅れましたか。
なぜおくれましたか。
Why were you late?
なぜこれは高いですか。
なぜこれはたかいですか。
Why is this expensive?
なぜ日本に来ましたか。
なぜにほんにきましたか。
Why did you come to Japan?
Common patterns
- なぜですか
- why is that?
- なぜ来ませんか
- why are you not coming?
- なぜか
- for some reason
Memory tip
なぜ and どうして both mean "why", but なぜ feels formal and is common in writing.
Quick check
1 / 1Multiple choiceDifficulty 1 of 5
What does なぜ mean?