Translation and Meaning of: 何で - nande
The Japanese word "なんで" (nande) can be translated as "why" in English. This question is often used in daily life to express curiosity or inquiry about the reason or motive behind something. It is a versatile term that can be used in various contexts, from formal situations to more casual conversations.
The expression "なんで" is formed by two components: 「なに」(nani), which means "what", and the particle 「で」(de), which is used to indicate means, method, or reason. Together, they form a word that seeks to understand the cause or reason for a particular situation. This construction is a good demonstration of how the Japanese combine different concepts to create new nuances of meaning.
In addition to "なんで", there is the alternative form "何で" (nande), where the first component is represented by the kanji 「何」 which also means "what". Both versions are used, but "なんで" in hiragana is more common in informal texts or when a lighter, everyday tone is desired. Meanwhile, "何で" tends to appear in more formal or written contexts, where the use of kanji is predominant.
It is interesting to note that in Japanese there are other words that convey the idea of questioning, such as "どうして" (doushite) and "なぜ" (naze). Although all these words can be translated as "why", each carries different nuances and is chosen according to the context and specific situation. However, "なんで" has a more direct and sometimes more casual connotation, making it the preferred choice for many people in their daily interactions.
Vocabulary
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Synonyms and similar words
- なんで (nande) - Because; generally used in informal contexts.
- どうして (dōshite) - Why; used in more formal situations or to express confusion.
- なにゆえ (naniyue) - Why; a more archaic or literary form.
Romaji: nande
Kana: なんで
Type: interrogative adverb
L: jlpt-n3
Translation / Meaning: Why?; what for?
Meaning in English: Why?;What for?
Definition: What: A word that expresses a question about what something is or in what condition it is.
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How to Write in Japanese - (何で) nande
See below a step-by-step guide on how to write the word by hand in Japanese. (何で) nande:
Example Sentences - (何で) nande
See below some example sentences:
Kono purojekuto no tēma wa nan desu ka?
What is the theme of this project?
- この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
- プロジェクト - noun meaning "project"
- の - Particle indicating possession or relationship
- テーマ - noun meaning "theme"
- は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
- 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
- ですか - polite way to ask in Japanese
Watashi no seinen gappi wa nan desu ka?
What is my date of birth?
What is my date of birth?
- 私 - Japanese personal pronoun that means "I"
- の - Japanese particle that indicates possession or relationship
- 生年月日 - Japanese compound noun meaning "date of birth"
- は - Japanese particle indicating the subject of the sentence
- 何 - Japanese interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
- ですか - Japanese expression indicating a polite question
Konki ga areba nandemo dekiru
with perseverance
You can do anything if you're patient.
- 根気 (konki) - perseverance, patience
- が (ga) - subject particle
- あれば (areba) - if any
- 何でも (nan demo) - anything, everything
- できる (dekiru) - be able to do, achieve
Kare no suki na tabemono wa nan desu ka?
What is his favorite food?
What's your favourite food?
- 彼の - his
- 好きな - adjective "favorite"
- 食べ物 - Noun "food"
- は - Topic particle
- 何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
- ですか - interrogative particle
Shourai no yume wa nan desu ka?
What is your dream for the future?
What is your future dream?
- 将来 (shourai) - future
- の (no) - Possession particle
- 夢 (yume) - sonho
- は (wa) - Topic particle
- 何 (nani) - what
- ですか (desu ka) - polite way of asking
Kono purojekuto no seikō no kijun wa nan desu ka?
What is the success criterion of this project?
What are the successful criteria for this project?
- この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this"
- プロジェクト - noun meaning "project"
- の - possessive particle that indicates ownership or belonging
- 成功 - noun meaning "success"
- の - possessive particle that indicates ownership or belonging
- 基準 - noun meaning "criterion" or "standard"
- は - topic particle indicating the main subject of the sentence
- 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
- です - auxiliary verb indicating a polite or polished way of speaking
- か - interrogative particle indicating a question
- ？ - punctuation mark that indicates a question
Kono hako no nakami wa nan desu ka?
What is the content of this box?
What is the content of this box?
- この - demonstrative that indicates proximity, "this"
- 箱 - noun that means "box"
- の - particle that indicates possession, "da"
- 中身 - noun that means "content"
- は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, "about"
- 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
- ですか - expression that indicates a polite question, "what is it?"
Kono mondai no kaitō wa nan desu ka?
What is the answer to this problem?
What is the answer to this problem?
- この - demonstrative indicating proximity, in this case "this"
- 問題 - noun meaning "problem"
- の - particle indicating possession, in this case "of"
- 解答 - noun meaning "answer" or "solution"
- は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "about"
- 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
- です - verb "to be" in the polite form
- か - Particle that indicates a question
Kono hon no janru wa nan desu ka?
What is the genre of this book?
- この - demonstrative meaning "this"
- 本 - noun meaning "book"
- の - possessive particle indicating that the book belongs to someone or something
- ジャンル - noun meaning "gender"
- は - particle that marks the topic of the sentence
- 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
- です - verb "to be" in the polite form
- か - interrogative particle indicating a question
Kono mono wa nan desu ka?
What is it?
What is this thing?
- この - demonstrative pronoun "this"
- もの - noun "thing"
- は - Topic particle
- 何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
- です - verb "to be" in the polite form
- か - interrogative particle
Other Words of this Type: interrogative adverb
See other words from our dictionary that are also: interrogative adverb
