Japanese word

なぜ

Pronunciation

Romajinaze

Meaning

  • adverbwhy

Example

なぜ学校へ行きますか？na ze gak kō e i ki ma su ka

Why do you go to school?

Illustration for なぜ (why)

More examples

なぜりんごを食べますか？na ze ri n go o ta be ma su ka

Why do you eat apples?

今日はなぜか早く目が覚めました。kyō wa na ze ka haya ku me ga sa me ma shi ta

For some reason, I woke up early today.

Core concept

Asks for the reason or cause behind an action, event, or situation.

Common phrases

  • なぜかna ze ka

    for some reason

Similar words

どうしてdōshite: Asks for the reason behind an action, event, or situation in everyday conversation.
なんでnande: Asks why something happens or why someone does something in casual speech.

Definition in Japanese

ある事柄の理由や原因を尋ねる語。a ru koto gara no ri yū ya gen in o tazu ne ru go

Word origin

The adverb なぜ (naze) is a shortened form of なにゆえ (naniyue), combining 何 (nani, "what") and 故 (yue, "reason").

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, どうして (dōshite) often sounds softer than なぜ (naze), while なぜ is common in written explanations and direct questions.

Word lists with this word