Japanese phrase
過去に___となった理由は何ですか？ ka ko ni ___ to na tta ri yū wa nan de su ka
Meaning
Why did it become ___ in the past?
When to use it
Asks why something reached a particular state in the past. The polite wording suits business discussions of earlier results or decisions.
Example dialogue
この会社が過去に赤字となった理由は何ですか？ ko no gai sha ga ka ko ni aka ji to na tta ri yū wa nan de su ka
Why did this company become unprofitable in the past?
売上が落ちたからです。 uriage ga o chi ta ka ra de su
Because sales declined.