Structure
なんで + Question
Details
Adverb
Independent Word
Standard
About なんで
なんで is a casual way to ask 'why' in Japanese. It is used very frequently in everyday conversation with friends, family, and close acquaintances.
なんで can sound quite direct, so may sound demanding, accusatory, or even slightly childish in some situations.
It is best to avoid using なんで with strangers or people of a higher status, with the more neutral どうして being a safer option.
Caution
なんで is made up of 何 'what' and で (the particle used for marking means or method), so literally means 'in what way?' or 'by what means?'. As such, なんで can also be used to mean 'how' in some contexts. To more clearly and strictly ask 'by what means?', the pronunciation なにで will be used. However, unlike なんで, なにで will never mean 'why'.
Examples
--:--
なんでですか？
Why is that?
なんでそれを聞くの？
Why do you ask that?
なんで彼と結婚したの？
Why did you marry him?
なんでこれも入れるんですか？
Why are you putting this in as well?
なんで今日なの？
Why is it today?
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