“Why” is an important word in any language. In Chinese, the way you would say it can be tricky. Knowing how to say this word correctly can help you communicate your questions and curiosity more effectively. Let’s discuss the different ways you can say “why” in Chinese.
You might also want to learn how to say “what” in Chinese – learn Chinese in Singapore at Linda Mandarin.
How to Say Why in Chinese?
The three terms commonly used to say why in a sentence in Chinese – 为什么 Wèi shén me, 为何 Wèihé, and 何必 Hébì.
为什么 Wèi shén me is the most common term for “why” in Chinese. It is frequently used to ask someone the reason for something or as an expression of curiosity. It is heard as 为什么 Wèishéme, where 什 can be pronounced as shé instead of the 什么 shénme spelt with an “n” in writing.
为何 Wèihé is similar to 为什么 Wèi shén me, but it is a bit more formal and polite and expresses a deeper level of knowledge. This term implies that you have some existing knowledge and are looking for an explanation of a concept or idea.
何必 Hébì is used to express something with a lack of necessity. We do not say it in the same tone as 为什么 Wèi shén me and 为何 Wèihé as there is a big difference. It implies that the thing being asked about is unneeded, so it can be used more humorously or sarcastically.
Putting Them into Practice…
Why in Chinese Using (为什么 – Wèishéme)
为什么 (Wèishéme) is a Chinese translation of “why” in English. It is used to ask questions or make statements that express confusion, doubt, surprise, or some other emotion related to the topic of discussion. Its placement is generally at the start of the sentence or after the Subject Pronoun.
It can also be used to seek an explanation or justification for an action, event, or statement. Here are some examples of sentences using 为什么 (Wèishéme/Wèi shén me):
| Why do you want to learn the Chinese language? | Wèi shén men nǐ yào xué rì yǔ? / Nǐ wèi shén me xiǎng xué zhōngwén? | 为什么你要学日语？/ 你为什么想学中文？|
| Why do you tell them about this matter? | Wèi shén me nǐ hé tā men shuō zhè jiàn shì? | 为什么你和他们说这件事？|
| Why did you do it? | Wèi shén me nǐ zuò le zhè yī qíng? | 为什么你做了这一情？ |
| Why have you decided to study abroad? | Wèi shén me nǐ jué dé xué jìn wài guó le? | 为什么你决定学流到外国了？ |
| Why do you think this is the solution? | Wèi shén me nǐ rèn wéi zhè shì jiě jué de fāng àn? | 为什么你认为这是解决的方案？ |
| Why did you choose him? | Wèi shén me nǐ xuǎn tā? | 为什么你选他？|
| Why don’t you go to the movies tonight? | Wèi shén me jīn wǎn nǐ bù qù kàn diàn yǐng ne? | 为什么今晚你不去看电影呢？|
Why + Not (为什么不 – Wèishéme Bù)
In addition to 为什么 (Wèishéme), the phrase 为什么不 (Wèishéme Bù) is also very commonly used in Chinese. This Chinese phrase can be translated to “why not” in English and is used when asking a question or making a suggestion. It can be used to invite someone to do something or challenge a previously made statement. Here are some common examples of sentences:
| Why not? Bring an umbrella then it will be possible. | Wèi shén me bù kě yǐ ne? Ná bǎ sǎn jiù kě yǐ le! | 为什么不可以呢？ 拿把伞就可以了！|
| Why is it not correct? Where is wrong? Please enlighten. | Wèi shén me bù duì ne? Nǎ lǐ cuò? Qǐng zhǐ diǎn. | 为什么不对呢？哪里错？请指点。|
| Why is it wrong? But I can recalculate. | Wèi shén me cuò ne? Bù guò, wǒ kě yǐ zhòng suàn. | 为什么错呢？ 不过，我可以重算。|
| Why not? Please explain. | Wèi shén me xíng bù tōng? / Wèi shén me bù xíng? Jiě shì lái tīng tīng. | 为什么行不通？/ 为什么不行？ 解释来听听。|
| Why isn’t it possible? | Wèi shén me bù xíng ne? | 为什么不行呢？|
| Why not go and check it out? | Wèi shén me bù qù kàn yí kàn? | 为什么不去看一看？|
| Why is it not okay? | Wèi shén me bù hǎo ne? | 为什么不好呢？|
Why + Did Not (为什么没 – Wèishéme Méi)
The phrase 为什么没 (Wèishéme Méi) is used when asking a question about an event that has passed, but no action has been taken. It can be translated to “why didn’t” + verb, “why” (not) + adjective, or “why no” + noun in English. Here are some examples of sentences:
Why Didn’t + Verbs
| Why didn’t you come to my house? | Nǐ wèi shén me méi lái wǒ jiā ne? | 你为什么没来我家呢？|
| Why didn’t you go to the meeting? | Nǐ wèi shén me méi qù kāi huì? | 你为什么没去开会？|
| Why have you not eaten yet? | Wèi shén me hái méi chī ne? | 为什么还没吃呢？|
why (not) + adjectives
| Why is it not fun? | Wèi shén me méi qù wèi ne? | 为什么没趣味呢？|
| Why is he useless? | Wèi shén me tā méi yòng ne? | 为什么他没用呢？|
| Why is it boring? | Wèi shén me méi yì si ne? | 为什么没意思呢？|
why no + nouns
| Why no time? | Wèi shén me méi shí jiān ne? | 为什么没时间呢？|
| Why no money? | Wèi shén me méi qián ne? | 为什么没钱呢？|
| Why no ability? | Wèi shén me méi běn shì? | 为什么没本事？|
Why in Chinese Using (为何 – Wèihé)
You can barely hear 为何 (Wèihé), although it is used in Chinese literature. You can use it when talking to friends as it easily replaces 为什么 Wèi shén me. It is used to seek an explanation or justification for an action, event, or statement. Here are some examples of how 为何 (Wèihé) can be used:
| Why did you do it? | Wèi hé nĭ zuò le ne? | 为何你做了呢？|
| Why are you here? | Wèi hé nĭ zài zhèr? | 为何你在这儿？|
| Why can’t I go? | Wèi hé wŏ bù néng qù? | 为何我不能去？|
| Why is it taking so long? | Wèi hé yào zăo jiŭ? | 为何要早久？|
| Why do you think that? | Wèi hé nĭ rèn wéi ne? | 为何你认为呢？|
| Why aren’t you listening? | Wèi hé nĭ bù tīng ba? | 为何你不听吧？|
| Why did this happen? | Wèi hé zhège shìqíng fāshēng le? | 为何这个事情发生了？|
Why in Chinese Using (何必 – Hébì)
何必 (Hébì) is another Chinese term that can be translated to “why” in English. It is used when asking why doing something is necessary or even desirable. Here are some examples of how 何必 (Hébì) can be used:
| Why bother asking? | Hé bì yào zhăo wèn ma? | 何必要着问吗？|
| Why do it again? | Hé bì yào zài zuò yīcì? | 何必要再做一次？|
| Why do that now? | Hé bì yào zài xiànzài zuò? | 何必要在现在做？|
| Why say that? | Hé bì yào shuō ne? | 何必要说呢？|
| Why make it so complicated? | Hé bì yào zhème fēnfā le? | 何必要这么繁发了？|
| Why get angry over such person? | Hé bì wèi zhè zhǒng rén shēng qì? | 何必为这种人生气？|
| Why not just leave it? | Hé bì búyào zhí jiā ba? | 何必不要直架吧？|
Conclusion
Learning Mandarin is an exciting and rewarding process. Being able to converse in Chinese can open up a host of opportunities, both for business and pleasure. Understanding the various ways to say Why in Mandarin will help you ask questions more effectively. Whether you’re looking to find out why something happened or why something isn’t happening, there are multiple ways to ask the question in Mandarin. From 为什么 Wèi shén me to 何必 Hébì, understanding the different nuances of each phrase will allow you to get more out of your conversations with native speakers.
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