How to Say ‘Why’ in Japanese
どうして
dou shi te
[DOH shee te]
💬 Usage Tip: どうして (dōshite) and なぜ (naze) both mean "why." どうして sounds softer in conversation.
Phrase Breakdown
どう
dou
[DOH]
how; why (part of どうして)
Combined with して to form 'why'.
どうして来ないの？
Why aren't you coming?
し
shi
[shee]
do
し is the stem of する, meaning to do.
予約しします。
I do the reservation.
て
te
[te]
indicates a connection
Connecting particle used in various grammatical structures.
駅に向かっている。
Heading towards the station.
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