How to use naze and doushite to ask why?

fixelbrumpf · 21 Apr 2004

I know that "naze" and "doushite" essentially mean "why". Could someone please give me some examples of how they're used in a sentence?

Say, if I wanted to ask "why do you always do this?", would
"貴方は何故いつもこの事がするんだ？" be the correct way to put this? Thanks in advance.

Elizabeth · 21 Apr 2004

I'm never sure about endings, but it would probably end up something more like "Why do you always do things like that? "なぜ（or なんで）いつもそんな事をするんですか？"

rquethe · 21 Apr 2004

"naze" is more polite than "doushite."

Elizabeth · 21 Apr 2004

I don't think of it as more polite. Naze is more demanding and emotionally charged --
closer in tone to "Why on earth do you do such things" or "this behavior is really hard for me to understand."

rquethe · 21 Apr 2004

My teacher explained it explicitly as one being more polite than the other. So I don't know what to say, he's a native speaker.

Elizabeth · 21 Apr 2004

Oh, OK. Well, if naze is more keigo I had it explained by a native speaker as well....perhaps it is his perception.

NANGI · 21 Apr 2004

Konnichiwa Mina-san!

to Fixelbrumpf-san!
"Why?"
"Naze?", "Doushite?", "Naze nanda?", "Doushite Nanda?", "Naze nano?", "doushite nano?".
Usually, the ending of word "-da" is used by male, and "-no" is used by female.

"Why does paper burn?"
"Naze Kami ha Moeru no?", "Doushite Kami ha Moeru no?".

"why do you always do this?"
"Naze itumo Konna koto wo Suru no?", "Doushite itumo Konna koto wo Suru no?".

to Elizabeth-san!
"Naze" is not Keigo, but "Naze" is more formal than "doushite". And Rquethe-san's teacher said that "naze" is more polite than "doushite", I think. I think "naze" is more polite than "doushite" too, but it doesn't mean "Keigo" or "Teineigo". It means that "Naze" is formal(or stiff) style and "Doushite" is familiar(or emotional) style.

NANGI

Elizabeth · 21 Apr 2004

Maybe that's what my boyfriend meant as well, that "Naze" is used
more seriously, for especially pressing matters and situations.

fixelbrumpf · 21 Apr 2004

NANGI said:
Konnichiwa Mina-san!

to Fixelbrumpf-san!
"Why?"
"Naze?", "Doushite?", "Naze nanda?", "Doushite Nanda?", "Naze nano?", "doushite nano?".
Usually, the ending of word "-da" is used by male, and "-no" is used by female.

"Why does paper burn?"
"Naze Kami ha Moeru no?", "Doushite Kami ha Moeru no?".

"why do you always do this?"
"Naze itumo Konna koto wo Suru no?", "Doushite itumo Konna koto wo Suru no?".

to Elizabeth-san!
"Naze" is not Keigo, but "Naze" is more formal than "doushite". And Rquethe-san's teacher said that "naze" is more polite than "doushite", I think. I think "naze" is more polite than "doushite" too, but it doesn't mean "Keigo" or "Teineigo". It means that "Naze" is formal(or stiff) style and "Doushite" is familiar(or emotional) style.

NANGI

Thank you very much, NANGI-san! :gohan:

I'd never have guessed that naze is more formal than doushite. Until now, all students in my Japanese class including myself were all firm believers of the "if it's longer, it's more polite" maxim.

PaulTB · 21 Apr 2004

fixelbrumpf said:
Until now, all students in my Japanese class including myself were all firm believers of the "if it's longer, it's more polite" maxim.

Ah! That must be why バカヤロウ is more polite than バカ

How to use naze and doushite to ask why?

fixelbrumpf

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

rquethe

黒い剣士

Elizabeth

先輩

rquethe

黒い剣士

Elizabeth

先輩

NANGI

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

fixelbrumpf

先輩

PaulTB

Manga Psychic

Similar threads