How to ask 'how' and 'why' in Japanese

[The7thSamurai]

Just realised I don't understand something. Where does 'donogurai'/'donokurai' fit into all this?

 

[Glenn]

That's like "how long," as in ここから日本まで飛行機でどのくらいかかるんですか ("how long does it take to get from here to Japan by airplane?").

That's the only use I know for it.

 

[JimmySeal]

I asked about this difference a while back and the reply would have been in this case your student is slightly atama ga okashii.

Friend, not student. She's in her 40's or 50's, native Japanese speaker.

 

[undrentide]

I was talking to some friends a while ago. One had got a new game for her Nintendo DS that teaches English. I wanted to know why she had decided to start working on her English so I said "Nande Eigo wo benkyou shitemasuka" to which she replied "Kono ge-mu wo tsukatte." Feeling nonplussed, I asked "Doushite eigo wo benkyou shitemasuka" and got the same response, a little more insistent the second time. Finally I got around to using naze and the whole issue was resolved.

Your episode reminds me of my childhood.
My mother scolded me (not seriously as what I did was just a joke and she knew that), and said
「なんでそんなことするの！」
and I said
「手で」
She burst into laughter instead of scolding me further.
Of course, in this case I was fully aware what she meant by なんで - she asked for the reason (why), not how I did it.

 

[Glenn]

I guess that's what you call a 恍けた冗談 (I've been using that phrase every chance I get since Mike Cash taught it to me).