Naze or Doshite?

[Mizumi]

Which is more often used, or what is the difference? I learned a while ago that why in Japanese was Doshite, but in a new book I got it's listed as Naze? Can someone explain?

 

[Elizabeth]

How to use naze and doushite to ask why? | Japan Forum

 

[blade_bltz]

And nande is the informal version?

 

[wakaP]

And nande is the informal version?

Actually naze and doushite sound more polite than nande in a conversation,
but nande is not the informal version of them.
You can use rhetorically (ironically) nande in formal situations.

In my opinion, but I'm sure many of Japanese may agree with me,
doushite and nande sound somewhat childish
and naze is more literary than both doushite and nande.

If you want to ask why, you can use naze or doushite or nande.
If you want to ask how, you can use doushite or nande, but cannot use naze.
Doushite and nande are used not only to ask why but to ask how.

For example;
If the question is "nande (doushite) kita no?",
both "anata ni aita katta kara (because I wanted to meet you)" and "densya de (by train)" are possible answers.
The meaning of the question depends on the context.

In such cases, even a native speaker sometimes confuse why and how.
To clarify that you want to ask how, you could use douyatte and nanide instead of doushite and nande.
That is native speakers do.

 

[Mizumi]

Domo arigato!