どうして

## What it means どうして means "why?" It's how you ask someone for the reason behind something.

## When to use it Start the question with どうして, then finish with a normal question: どうして学校に来なかったんですか ("why didn't you come to school?"). When answering, give the reason and finish the sentence with から: 風邪をひいたからです ("because I caught a cold").

## Don't confuse it with どうして is about reasons ("why did this happen"), while どうやって asks about method ("how do you do this"). If the answer would naturally start with "because," どうして is right. If the answer would describe steps or a way of doing something, you actually want どうやって instead.