Japanese word

どうして

Pronunciation

Romajidōshite

Meaning

  • adverbwhy

Example

どうして日本語を勉強しますか。dō shi te nihon go o ben kyō shi ma su ka

Why do you study Japanese?

Illustration for どうして (why)

More examples

どうしてこれが好きですか？dō shi te ko re ga su ki de su ka

Why do you like this?

どうして窓を開けたのですか。dō shi te mado o a ke ta no de su ka

Why did you open the window?

Core concept

Asks about the reason for an action or the way it is done.

Common phrases

  • どうしてかなdō shi te ka na

    I wonder why

Similar words

なんでnande: Asks why an action or event occurs in informal spoken language.
なぜnaze: Asks why an action or event occurs in formal or written language.

Definition in Japanese

ある事柄の理由や、物事のやり方をたずねる語。a ru koto gara no ri yū ya mono goto no ya ri kata o ta zu ne ru go

Word origin

The adverb どうして (dōshite) combines どう (dō, "how") with して (shite, "doing"), the te-form of する (suru, "do"), and asks either how or why.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, どうして (dōshite) can ask either for a reason or for a method, so the surrounding context determines whether why or how is meant.

Other meanings

  • howadverb

Word lists with this word