问答 | how come 和 why 有什么区别？

Hello! Welcome to Ask a Teacher . This week we answer a question from Shinji in Japan.

Question

Here's the question:

I think I once learned the expression "How come?" which I hear is to explain reasons. For example, "How come the schools are cancelled?" But I rarely come across this construction, recently, both in writing and speaking. I am not quite sure about the distinction between this and "why." If it would be all right with you, I would appreciate your lesson on it. Sincerely Yours,

Shinji, Japan

Answer

And here's the answer:

Dear Shinji,

When I started to look into this question, I found that, as you experienced, the expression is not as common now as it was in the past. The first use in American English is recorded around 1848. The highest point for its use was in the 1940s and 1950s. Its use has dropped since 2012.

The Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary says “how come” is “used to ask why something has happened or is true.” It is a short form of “how did it come about that.” The dictionary also says the expression is usually found in the United States and is used in casual speech. When it appears in news headlines , Merriam-Webster says the purpose is to create a more relaxed quality to the writing.