What does どうして (doushite | どうして) mean in Japanese?

The Japanese word

どうして月は夜輝くのか。
dōshite tsuki wa yoru kagayaku no ka.
How does the moon shine at night?

僕はどうしてよいか途方に暮れた。
boku wa dōshite yoi ka tohō ni kure ta.
I was at my wit's end as to how to act.

してもいないことをどうして謝るの？
shi te mo i nai koto o dōshite ayamaru no?
Why are you sorry for something you haven't done? | Why say sorry for something you haven't even done?

問題はどうして難局に当たるかである。
mondai wa dōshite nankyoku ni ataru ka de aru.
The question is how we will bell the cat. | The question is how will we deal with this difficult situation.

どうしてそんなに日本の歴史に詳しいの？
dōshite sonnani nippon no rekishi ni kuwashī no?
How come you know so much about Japanese history?

問題は、どうしてその金を調達するかだ。
mondai wa, dōshite sono kin o chōtatsu suru ka da.
The question is how we can raise the money.

どうしてなのか、心が粟立つのを感じていた。
dōshite na no ka, kokoro ga awadatsu no o kanji te i ta.
I don't know what, but I felt in my heart something that gives me the chills.

良い教育を受けないでどうして成功できるのか。
yoi kyōiku o uke nai de dōshite seikō dekiru no ka.
How can you make your way in life without a good education?

未来のことをどうしてそんなに楽観できるんですか。
mirai no koto o dōshite sonnani rakkan dekirun desu ka.
How can you be so optimistic about the future?

僕が君の立場なら、どうしていいか分からないだろう。
boku ga kimi no tachiba nara, dōshite ī ka wakara nai daro u.
Were I in your position, I shouldn't know what to do. | If I were in your position, I probably wouldn't know what to do.

彼女は、どうしてそんなことが可能なのかと尋ねている。
kanojo wa, dōshite sonna koto ga kanō na no ka to tazune te iru.
She's asking how that's possible.

女ってどうして連れションしたがるの？物凄く理解不能。
onna tte dōshite tsure shon shi ta garu no? monosugoku rikai funō.
Women - why do they want to go to toilet in groups? I don't get it at all.

こんなに上手に英語で手紙を書けるのにどうして話せないの？
konnani jōzu ni eigo de tegami o kakeru noni dōshite hanase nai no?
Why is it you can write a letter in English this well, but can't speak in it? | Why is it you can write a letter in English this well, but can't speak it?

そう言えば、鯔背な男だった記憶が有るがどうしてるんだろな？
sō ie ba, ina se na otoko datta kioku ga aru ga dō shi terun daro na?
Now that you mention it, I remember he was a dashing man. I wonder how he's doing?

不倶戴天の敵と言われるほど、どうしてそんなに嫌われたかなあ。
fugutaiten no teki to iwa reru hodo, dōshite sonnani kirawa re ta ka nā.
He said I was his archenemy. How did we arrive at a situation like this?

明日外にでられるようなら、二人がどうしているかわかると思うわ。
ashita gai ni de rareru yō nara, ni nin ga dō shi te iru ka wakaru to omō wa.
Tomorrow, if we can go out, we'll see how they are.

どうしてノートパソコンは持っているのに携帯電話は持っていないの？
dōshite nōto pasokon wa motte iru no ni keitai denwa wa motte i nai no?
How can you have a laptop and not a cell phone?

母はどうしても私たちが夜７時までには家に帰るようにと言っている。
haha wa dōshitemo watashi tachi ga yoru nana ji made ni wa ie ni kaeru yō ni to itte iru.
Mother insists that we should be home by seven in the evening.

彼女がどうしてその犯罪に及んだかという動機については、いまだによくわかりません。
kanojo ga dōshite sono hanzai ni oyon da ka toyū dōki nitsuite wa, imadani yoku wakari masen.
They still haven't been able to work out quite what her motive was for resorting to crime.

	The Japanese word
	どうして
	is pronounced
	doushite \| どうして
	means
	why?, for what reason, how, in what way, for what purpose, what for

	Examples:
	どうして月は夜輝くのか。 dōshite tsuki wa yoru kagayaku no ka. How does the moon shine at night?
	僕はどうしてよいか途方に暮れた。 boku wa dōshite yoi ka tohō ni kure ta. I was at my wit's end as to how to act.
	してもいないことをどうして謝るの？ shi te mo i nai koto o dōshite ayamaru no? Why are you sorry for something you haven't done? \| Why say sorry for something you haven't even done?
	問題はどうして難局に当たるかである。 mondai wa dōshite nankyoku ni ataru ka de aru. The question is how we will bell the cat. \| The question is how will we deal with this difficult situation.
	どうしてそんなに日本の歴史に詳しいの？ dōshite sonnani nippon no rekishi ni kuwashī no? How come you know so much about Japanese history?
	問題は、どうしてその金を調達するかだ。 mondai wa, dōshite sono kin o chōtatsu suru ka da. The question is how we can raise the money.
	どうしてなのか、心が粟立つのを感じていた。 dōshite na no ka, kokoro ga awadatsu no o kanji te i ta. I don't know what, but I felt in my heart something that gives me the chills.
	良い教育を受けないでどうして成功できるのか。 yoi kyōiku o uke nai de dōshite seikō dekiru no ka. How can you make your way in life without a good education?
	未来のことをどうしてそんなに楽観できるんですか。 mirai no koto o dōshite sonnani rakkan dekirun desu ka. How can you be so optimistic about the future?
	僕が君の立場なら、どうしていいか分からないだろう。 boku ga kimi no tachiba nara, dōshite ī ka wakara nai daro u. Were I in your position, I shouldn't know what to do. \| If I were in your position, I probably wouldn't know what to do.
	彼女は、どうしてそんなことが可能なのかと尋ねている。 kanojo wa, dōshite sonna koto ga kanō na no ka to tazune te iru. She's asking how that's possible.
	女ってどうして連れションしたがるの？物凄く理解不能。 onna tte dōshite tsure shon shi ta garu no? monosugoku rikai funō. Women - why do they want to go to toilet in groups? I don't get it at all.
	こんなに上手に英語で手紙を書けるのにどうして話せないの？ konnani jōzu ni eigo de tegami o kakeru noni dōshite hanase nai no? Why is it you can write a letter in English this well, but can't speak in it? \| Why is it you can write a letter in English this well, but can't speak it?
	そう言えば、鯔背な男だった記憶が有るがどうしてるんだろな？ sō ie ba, ina se na otoko datta kioku ga aru ga dō shi terun daro na? Now that you mention it, I remember he was a dashing man. I wonder how he's doing?
	不倶戴天の敵と言われるほど、どうしてそんなに嫌われたかなあ。 fugutaiten no teki to iwa reru hodo, dōshite sonnani kirawa re ta ka nā. He said I was his archenemy. How did we arrive at a situation like this?
	明日外にでられるようなら、二人がどうしているかわかると思うわ。 ashita gai ni de rareru yō nara, ni nin ga dō shi te iru ka wakaru to omō wa. Tomorrow, if we can go out, we'll see how they are.
	どうしてノートパソコンは持っているのに携帯電話は持っていないの？ dōshite nōto pasokon wa motte iru no ni keitai denwa wa motte i nai no? How can you have a laptop and not a cell phone?
	母はどうしても私たちが夜７時までには家に帰るようにと言っている。 haha wa dōshitemo watashi tachi ga yoru nana ji made ni wa ie ni kaeru yō ni to itte iru. Mother insists that we should be home by seven in the evening.
	彼女がどうしてその犯罪に及んだかという動機については、いまだによくわかりません。 kanojo ga dōshite sono hanzai ni oyon da ka toyū dōki nitsuite wa, imadani yoku wakari masen. They still haven't been able to work out quite what her motive was for resorting to crime.

	Examples sourced from tatoeba.org