See how come in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for how come meaning in English (7.3kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "fy",
"2": "hoe kom",
"t": "how come"
},
"expansion": "West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "hoe komt het",
"t": "how comes it; why"
},
"expansion": "Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "af",
"2": "hoekom",
"t": "how come; why"
},
"expansion": "Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”)",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "US English, 1848, probably from older forms such as “How comes it that... ?” or “How does it come that... ?” and “How did it come to be like this?”\nCompare West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”), Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”), Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "adverb"
},
"expansion": "how come",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
"parents": [
"Terms with redundant transliterations",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Russian terms with redundant script codes",
"parents": [
"Terms with redundant script codes",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "How come you didn’t leave when you had the chance?",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?"
],
"id": "en-how_come-en-adv-tyGlAzNO",
"links": [
[
"Why",
"why"
],
[
"reason",
"reason"
],
[
"purpose",
"purpose"
],
[
"cause",
"cause"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, informal) Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "why come"
},
{
"word": "how's come"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"informal"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hoekom"
},
{
"code": "hy",
"lang": "Armenian",
"roman": "inčʻpes ē stacʻvum",
"sense": "why",
"word": "ինչպես է ստացվում"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "zašto",
"sense": "why",
"word": "защо"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "kak taka",
"sense": "why",
"word": "как така"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "why",
"word": "com és?"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "why",
"word": "per què?"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "why",
"word": "為什麼"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "wèishénme",
"sense": "why",
"word": "为什么"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "why",
"word": "怎麼"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "zěnme",
"sense": "why",
"word": "怎么"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "why",
"word": "proč"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jak to, že"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jak to přijde, že"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hoe komt het dat"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "why",
"word": "waarom"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "why",
"word": "kial"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "miksi"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "minkä takia"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"formal"
],
"word": "comment se fait-il que"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"formal"
],
"word": "comment se fait-ce que"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"colloquial"
],
"word": "comment ça se fait que"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"word": "pourquoi"
},
{
"code": "ka",
"lang": "Georgian",
"roman": "rogor moxda",
"sense": "why",
"word": "როგორ მოხდა"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "why",
"word": "wie kommt es dass"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "why",
"word": "warum"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "pós ki étsi",
"sense": "why",
"word": "πώς κι έτσι"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "madúa'",
"sense": "why",
"word": "מַדּוּעַ"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hogyhogy"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "why",
"word": "Af hverju"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "why",
"word": "come mai"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "nande",
"sense": "why",
"word": "何で"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "wae",
"sense": "why",
"word": "왜"
},
{
"code": "fa",
"lang": "Persian",
"roman": "čerâ",
"sense": "why",
"word": "چرا"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "dlaczego"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jakże"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "czemu"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jak to"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "por quê"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "como"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "why",
"word": "cum se face"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "cum de"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "počemú že",
"sense": "why",
"word": "почему́ же"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "počemú",
"sense": "why",
"word": "почему́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "počemú éto",
"sense": "why",
"word": "почему́ э́то"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kak tak",
"sense": "why",
"word": "как так"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kak eto tak",
"sense": "why",
"word": "как это так"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "cómo es que"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "¿por qué?"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hur kommer det sig"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "varför"
},
{
"code": "tl",
"lang": "Tagalog",
"sense": "why",
"word": "bakit"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "jak tak",
"sense": "why",
"word": "як так"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "tại sao"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "tai sao"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/haʊ kʌm/"
},
{
"audio": "En-US how come.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/60/En-US_how_come.ogg/En-US_how_come.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/En-US_how_come.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-how come.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d4/En-au-how_come.ogg/En-au-how_come.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/En-au-how_come.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "how come"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "fy",
"2": "hoe kom",
"t": "how come"
},
"expansion": "West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "hoe komt het",
"t": "how comes it; why"
},
"expansion": "Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "af",
"2": "hoekom",
"t": "how come; why"
},
"expansion": "Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”)",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "US English, 1848, probably from older forms such as “How comes it that... ?” or “How does it come that... ?” and “How did it come to be like this?”\nCompare West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”), Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”), Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "adverb"
},
"expansion": "how come",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English adverbs",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English idioms",
"English informal terms",
"English interrogative adverbs",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English terms with usage examples",
"Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
"Russian terms with redundant script codes"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "How come you didn’t leave when you had the chance?",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?"
],
"links": [
[
"Why",
"why"
],
[
"reason",
"reason"
],
[
"purpose",
"purpose"
],
[
"cause",
"cause"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, informal) Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "why come"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"informal"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/haʊ kʌm/"
},
{
"audio": "En-US how come.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/60/En-US_how_come.ogg/En-US_how_come.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/En-US_how_come.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-how come.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d4/En-au-how_come.ogg/En-au-how_come.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/En-au-how_come.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "how's come"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hoekom"
},
{
"code": "hy",
"lang": "Armenian",
"roman": "inčʻpes ē stacʻvum",
"sense": "why",
"word": "ինչպես է ստացվում"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "zašto",
"sense": "why",
"word": "защо"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "kak taka",
"sense": "why",
"word": "как така"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "why",
"word": "com és?"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "why",
"word": "per què?"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "why",
"word": "為什麼"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "wèishénme",
"sense": "why",
"word": "为什么"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "why",
"word": "怎麼"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "zěnme",
"sense": "why",
"word": "怎么"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "why",
"word": "proč"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jak to, že"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jak to přijde, že"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hoe komt het dat"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "why",
"word": "waarom"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "why",
"word": "kial"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "miksi"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "minkä takia"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"formal"
],
"word": "comment se fait-il que"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"formal"
],
"word": "comment se fait-ce que"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"colloquial"
],
"word": "comment ça se fait que"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "why",
"word": "pourquoi"
},
{
"code": "ka",
"lang": "Georgian",
"roman": "rogor moxda",
"sense": "why",
"word": "როგორ მოხდა"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "why",
"word": "wie kommt es dass"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "why",
"word": "warum"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "pós ki étsi",
"sense": "why",
"word": "πώς κι έτσι"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "madúa'",
"sense": "why",
"word": "מַדּוּעַ"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hogyhogy"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "why",
"word": "Af hverju"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "why",
"word": "come mai"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "nande",
"sense": "why",
"word": "何で"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "wae",
"sense": "why",
"word": "왜"
},
{
"code": "fa",
"lang": "Persian",
"roman": "čerâ",
"sense": "why",
"word": "چرا"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "dlaczego"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jakże"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "czemu"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "jak to"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "por quê"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "como"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "why",
"word": "cum se face"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "why",
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "cum de"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "počemú že",
"sense": "why",
"word": "почему́ же"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "počemú",
"sense": "why",
"word": "почему́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "počemú éto",
"sense": "why",
"word": "почему́ э́то"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kak tak",
"sense": "why",
"word": "как так"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kak eto tak",
"sense": "why",
"word": "как это так"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "cómo es que"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "¿por qué?"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "hur kommer det sig"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "why",
"word": "varför"
},
{
"code": "tl",
"lang": "Tagalog",
"sense": "why",
"word": "bakit"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "jak tak",
"sense": "why",
"word": "як так"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "tại sao"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "why",
"word": "tai sao"
}
],
"word": "how come"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.