どうして

• Reading: どうして
• Romaji: doushite
• Pronunciation: /doː.ɕi.te/

Meaning

Why; how; for what reason; in what way. A versatile question word.

Functions as both 'why' (asking for reason) and 'how' (asking for method), though the 'why' usage is more common. Less formal than なぜ but more polite than なんで. Can express rhetorical frustration (どうしてこうなるの = why does this happen?). Derived from どう (how) + して (doing).

Examples

1. どうして学校を休んだんですか。 Why were you absent from school?
2. どうしてそんなに日本語が上手ですか。 How come your Japanese is so good?
3. どうして泣いているの。 Why are you crying?

Usage Guide

Context: questions, reasoning, conversation

Tone: inquisitive

Origin & History

A compound of どう (how/in what way) and して (the te-form of する, to do). Literally 'by doing how' — the meaning shifted from method to reason over time.

Cultural Context

Era: Early Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal