Translation and Meaning of: 何で - nande
On this page, we will study the meaning of the Japanese word 何で (nande) and its translation into English. Let's see their different meanings, example phrases, explanations, etymology and the similar words.
Romaji: nande
Kana: なんで
Type: interrogative adverb
L: jlpt-n3
Translation / Meaning: Why?; For what?
Meaning in English: Why?;What for?
Definition: What: A word that expresses a question about what something is or in what condition it is.
Table of Content
- Etymology
- Writing
- Synonyms
- Example Phrases
Explanation and Etymology - (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 questioning about the reason or cause of something. It is a quite versatile term, and can be used in various contexts, from formal situations to more informal 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.
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:
Synonyms and similar words
There are different ways of expressing the idea of "What: A word that expresses a question about what something is or in what condition it is." in the Japanese language.
A way of saying "Why?; For what?" é "(何で) nande".
Below is a list of Japanese words that have the same meaning or are a variation of the word. "(何で) nande":
- なんで (nande) - Because; usually 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.
Words related to: 何で
See also other related words from our dictionary:
Kana: なんて
Romaji: nante
Meaning:
like what...!
Kana: なんでも
Romaji: nandemo
Meaning:
by all means; all
Kana: なんと
Romaji: nanto
Meaning:
what; as; everything that
Kana: なんとも
Romaji: nantomo
Meaning:
nothing (with black. verb); very; not a little
Kana: なんなり
Romaji: nannari
Meaning:
any; anything; everything that
Kana: なにも
Romaji: nanimo
Meaning:
anything
Kana: いろいろ
Romaji: iroiro
Meaning:
several
Words with the same pronunciation: なんで nande
Example Sentences - (何で) nande
Below are some example sentences:
このプロジェクトのテーマは何ですか？
Kono purojekuto no tēma wa nan desu ka?
What is the theme of this project?
- この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this one"
- プロジェクト - noun meaning "project"
- の - particle indicating possession or relationship
- テーマ - noun meaning "theme"
- は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
- 何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
- ですか - polite way to ask in Japanese
私の生年月日は何ですか？
Watashi no seinen gappi wa nan desu ka?
What is my date of birth?
- 私 - Japanese personal pronoun meaning "I"
- の - Japanese particle indicating 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
根気があれば何でもできる。
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
彼の好きな食べ物は何ですか？
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
将来の夢は何ですか？
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) - dream
- は (wa) - topic particle
- 何 (nani) - what
- ですか (desu ka) - polite way of asking
このプロジェクトの成功の基準は何ですか？
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 meaning "what"
- です - auxiliary verb indicating a polite or polished way of speaking
- か - interrogative particle indicating a question
- ？ - punctuation mark indicating a question
この箱の中身は何ですか？
Kono hako no nakami wa nan desu ka?
What is the contents of this box?
- この - demonstrative indicating proximity, "this"
- 箱 - noun meaning "box"
- の - particle indicating possession, "da"
- 中身 - noun meaning "content"
- は - particle indicating the topic of the sentence, "about"
- 何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
- ですか - an expression that indicates a polite question, "what is it?"
この問題の解答は何ですか？
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 meaning "what"
- です - verb "to be" in polite form
- か - particle that indicates a question
この本のジャンルは何ですか？
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 meaning "what"
- です - verb "to be" in polite form
- か - interrogative particle indicating a question
このものは何ですか？
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 polite form
- か - interrogative particle
Other words of the same type: interrogative adverb
See other words from our dictionary that are also: interrogative adverb
