なぜ

• 読み: なぜ
• ローマ字: naze
• 発音: /na.ze/

意味

Why; how; for what reason. A question word for asking about causes and reasons.

More formal than どうして and much more formal than なんで. Appropriate in writing, speeches, and polite conversation. Often followed by か or でしょうか for politeness. The kanji form 何故 literally means 'what reason.' Commonly appears in the construction なぜなら (because/the reason is).

例文

1. なぜ遅れたんですか。
2. なぜ日本語を勉強していますか。
3. なぜこの仕事を選びましたか。

使い方ガイド

場面: questions, reasoning, formal conversation

トーン: inquisitive

起源と歴史

Composed of 何 (na, what) and the particle ぜ, an emphatic or questioning particle from classical Japanese. The kanji 何故 literally reads 'what cause/reason.'

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal