wèi
shén
me
(Mandarin)
(Cantonese)

為什麼 (Traditional: 為什麼)

HSK 2

Dictionary

why?/for what reason?

Examples

你为什么今天没来上课?

Nǐ wèi shén me jīn tiān méi lái shàng kè?

Why didn't you come to class today?

Did You Know?

Word Order

Word Formation

为 means 'for', 什 means 'what', and 么 is a suffix — literally 'for what'.

Usage Tips

为什么 starts a question and is followed by the subject and verb: 为什么你来晚了?(Why are you late?). The answer often uses 因为 (because).