Explaining the difference between 为什么 and 怎么 (Why)

[lakers4sho]

I had a bit of trouble today explaining to a friend the difference between 为什么 and 怎么, in cases when they translate to "Why" or "How come" in English.

 

Consider the following sentences as examples:

 

你为什么想去中国？

 

你怎么今天上课又迟到了？

 

Intuitively, I can tell which one is more appropriate, but I can't seem to find the right way to explain it.

 

 

 

lakers4sho

[Yorin]

为什么 is a neutral way of asking "why?". The person asking is just curious about something.

 

怎么 is not so hard to understand, it works basically the same way as it does in English:

 

A) It's a neutral way of asking "how?", as in "How do you pronounce this character?"

The person asking is just curious about something.

 

B) It's a way of asking "why?", but it implies an accusation/reproach. In English, you will also say:

"How could you say such a nasty thing to her?", "How could you come late again?" etc. Although you

say "how", you're not really asking "which way" or "by which means". What you really want to know is "why", you're making a reproach and asking for a justification. It's the same way in Chinese.

[lakers4sho]

Reproach, that's the word I was looking for. Thanks.

lakers4sho