<p>In English, why and how were never clearly separated:</p>
<p>how come: why<br />
why: wherefore<br />
wherefore: what cause or reason<br />
how: what cause or reason</p>
<p>Think of Romeo and Juliet: &quot;Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?&quot; (He was a Montague, Juliet a Capulet)</p>
<p>I would just take 会 as can here.</p>
<p>这是最基本的常识,<br />
This is basic common sense,<br />
你怎么会不知道呢?<br />
how can you <em>not</em> know that?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-24T11:54:43.877Z
I will use "how come" in place of "how can".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-24T14:54:07.043Z
No, don't do that! how come = why
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-24T17:38:38.200Z
Per Dict.com, "how come" = [口語]何以会 ... ; 为什么? "how can" = 怎可，哪能. Differences are not great.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-05T12:56:53.640Z
Native (British) English speaker here: I agree with @Pedroski. "How come you not know that" isn't idiomatic, and feels very wrong to me. However "How come you *don't* know that" is fine; but it's informal speech - not advisable for students of English perhaps. "How can you not know that" is a good simple translation of 你怎么会不知道呢?, IMO.
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-24T07:45:16.600Z
2023-06-24T07:45:16.600Z
Pedroski
<p><strong>怎么</strong> - how (can)</p>
<p><strong>会</strong> - can/be able to/be possible</p>
<ul>
<li><p>A. 你怎么<strong>会</strong>不知道呢? - How can/could you <strong>possibly</strong> not know?</p>
</li>
<li><p>B. 你怎么不知道呢? - How can/could you not know?</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>With ridicule in mind, sentence B is milder than sentence A.</p>
<p>Note that the phrase &quot;<strong>怎么会</strong>&quot; can be translated as &quot;<strong>How come</strong>&quot; (as to ask why something has happened or is true), which is usually used in casual speech in the US.</p>

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2023-07-05T13:58:46.507Z
"How come you are not knowing?" is not idiomatic English. See my comment for Pederowski's answer.
goPlayerJuggler
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2023-07-05T15:34:39.650Z
@goPlayerJuggler Thanks, revision made.
r13
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2023-07-05T16:01:50.110Z
@goPlayerJuggler Please review the linked article/webpage and let me know your thought. Thanks.  1. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/how-come 2. https://www.bing.com/search?q=example+sentences+with+%22how+come%22&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=example+sentences+with+%22how+come%22&sc=10-33&sk=&cvid=C038E34457BD45AB97DD02490933BF02&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-06T07:57:59.497Z
I looked at the links; I'm not sure what point you want to make, or why you wanted me to look at them. I suspect that you disagree with me, our doubt me, when I say that sentence is not idiomatic. I think there may well be a misunderstanding. I think the problem with this sentence "how come you are not knowing" is in the "you are not knowing" part, not in the "how come" part. Your comments? // By the way, something I find interesting about "how come" is its usage - it feels slightly like its more American / Australian than British. Even though it's probably used in the British Isles too.
goPlayerJuggler
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2023-07-06T13:44:28.567Z
@goPlayerJuggler I've made my point in my final edit.
r13
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2023-07-07T07:48:32.493Z
Well I still haven't understood what your point is, and it feels a bit like I'm wasting my time trying to understand.
goPlayerJuggler
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2023-07-07T14:37:17.403Z
@goPlayerJuggler After reviewing those materials, my understanding is that "**怎么会**" can be translated as "**How come**" (as to ask why something has happened or is true), which is usually used in **casual speech in the US**.".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-07T14:47:39.380Z
Yes, I agree with that. I didn't dispute it. I think you misunderstood me earlier. // Still, I could quibble with the bit "which is usually used in casual speech in the US". Better to say: "how come" is often used in casual speech in several places including the US. // As the focus of this SE is Chinese, not English, maybe we're getting a bit off the point?
goPlayerJuggler
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2023-07-07T15:22:34.100Z
@goPlayerJuggler Yes, this is Chinese SE but it helps both Chinese and English speakers. Your critics are healthy and beneficial.
r13
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2023-07-07T16:42:12.607Z
The word is "critiques". 祝好 :)
goPlayerJuggler
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2023-07-07T16:57:01.170Z
@goPlayerJuggler Thanks.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-05T12:40:23.177Z
2023-07-05T18:24:43.897Z
2023-07-05T18:24:43.897Z
r13
<p>I think there's a comparable difference in English between:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>How do you not know?  (你怎么不知道呢？)  vs.<br />
How <em>could</em> you not know [sth.]?  (你怎么<strong>会</strong>不知道呢？)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It emphasizes the speaker's surprise, and comes off more as a rhetorical question: <em>how is it possible</em> that 你 doesn't know [sth.].</p>
<p>I asked <a href="https://poe.com/Sage" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sage</a>, and it came up with related 怎么会 examples:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>怎么会下雨?  (How could it be raining?)<br />
怎么会这么热啊?   (How could it be this hot?)<br />
怎么会有人不喜欢吃巧克力呢?  (How could there be people who don't like chocolate?)<br />
他怎么会突然辞职？  (How could he suddenly resign?)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Like in the original example, it is possible to delete the 会 in all these examples to obtain grammatical sentences (although I think it'd be more common to add a particle in the first sentence, like 怎么下雨了？).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-05T04:38:25.673Z
"It is possible to delete the 会 in all these examples." I think this contradicts the statement and examples given in the opening.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-05T06:07:09.990Z
It looks like I was unclear there; I just mean they're grammatical, with or without the 会.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-05T01:26:20.900Z
2023-07-05T06:06:26.843Z
2023-07-05T06:06:26.843Z
Becky 李蓓
<blockquote>
<p>这是最基本的常识,你怎么会不知道呢?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My translation: <em>This is the most common sense but why you don't know it?</em></p>
<p>Translating directly the original sentence then the 2nd part of the sentence can be translated into &quot;Why you won't know it?&quot;</p>
<p>Is this translation correct? I've never heard of the phrase &quot;Why you won't know it?&quot; in English.</p>

<translation><grammar><tense>
I want to understand why 会 is used inside "你怎么会不知道呢?"
# I want to understand why 会 is used inside "你怎么会不知道呢?"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-06-24)

> 这是最基本的常识,你怎么会不知道呢?

My translation: *This is the most common sense but why you don't know it?*

Translating directly the original sentence then the 2nd part of the sentence can be translated into "Why you won't know it?"

Is this translation correct? I've never heard of the phrase "Why you won't know it?" in English.

**Tags:** translation, grammar, tense


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-06-24. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

In English, why and how were never clearly separated:

how come: why  
why: wherefore  
wherefore: what cause or reason  
how: what cause or reason

Think of Romeo and Juliet: "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (He was a Montague, Juliet a Capulet)

I would just take 会 as can here.

这是最基本的常识,  
This is basic common sense,  
你怎么会不知道呢?  
how can you *not* know that?

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I will use "how come" in place of "how can".  
> **username_1**: No, don't do that! how come = why  
> **username_2**: Per Dict.com, "how come" = [口語]何以会 ... ; 为什么? "how can" = 怎可，哪能. Differences are not great.  
> **username_3**: Native (British) English speaker here: I agree with @username_1. "How come you not know that" isn't idiomatic, and feels very wrong to me. However "How come you *don't* know that" is fine; but it's informal speech - not advisable for students of English perhaps. "How can you not know that" is a good simple translation of 你怎么会不知道呢?, IMO.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-07-05. Score: 1

**怎么** - how (can)

**会** - can/be able to/be possible

* A. 你怎么**会**不知道呢? - How can/could you **possibly** not know?
* B. 你怎么不知道呢? - How can/could you not know?

With ridicule in mind, sentence B is milder than sentence A.

Note that the phrase "**怎么会**" can be translated as "**How come**" (as to ask why something has happened or is true), which is usually used in casual speech in the US.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: "How come you are not knowing?" is not idiomatic English. See my comment for Pederowski's answer.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Thanks, revision made.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Please review the linked article/webpage and let me know your thought. Thanks.  1. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/how-come 2. https://www.bing.com/search?q=example+sentences+with+%22how+come%22&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=example+sentences+with+%22how+come%22&sc=10-33&sk=&cvid=C038E34457BD45AB97DD02490933BF02&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=  
> **username_3**: I looked at the links; I'm not sure what point you want to make, or why you wanted me to look at them. I suspect that you disagree with me, our doubt me, when I say that sentence is not idiomatic. I think there may well be a misunderstanding. I think the problem with this sentence "how come you are not knowing" is in the "you are not knowing" part, not in the "how come" part. Your comments? // By the way, something I find interesting about "how come" is its usage - it feels slightly like its more American / Australian than British. Even though it's probably used in the British Isles too.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 I've made my point in my final edit.  
> **username_3**: Well I still haven't understood what your point is, and it feels a bit like I'm wasting my time trying to understand.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 After reviewing those materials, my understanding is that "**怎么会**" can be translated as "**How come**" (as to ask why something has happened or is true), which is usually used in **casual speech in the US**.".  
> **username_3**: Yes, I agree with that. I didn't dispute it. I think you misunderstood me earlier. // Still, I could quibble with the bit "which is usually used in casual speech in the US". Better to say: "how come" is often used in casual speech in several places including the US. // As the focus of this SE is Chinese, not English, maybe we're getting a bit off the point?  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Yes, this is Chinese SE but it helps both Chinese and English speakers. Your critics are healthy and beneficial.  
> **username_3**: The word is "critiques". 祝好 :)  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Thanks.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-07-05. Score: 1

I think there's a comparable difference in English between:

> How do you not know? (你怎么不知道呢？) vs.  
> How *could* you not know [sth.]? (你怎么**会**不知道呢？)

It emphasizes the speaker's surprise, and comes off more as a rhetorical question: *how is it possible* that 你 doesn't know [sth.].

I asked [Sage](https://poe.com/Sage), and it came up with related 怎么会 examples:

> 怎么会下雨? (How could it be raining?)  
> 怎么会这么热啊? (How could it be this hot?)  
> 怎么会有人不喜欢吃巧克力呢? (How could there be people who don't like chocolate?)  
> 他怎么会突然辞职？ (How could he suddenly resign?)

Like in the original example, it is possible to delete the 会 in all these examples to obtain grammatical sentences (although I think it'd be more common to add a particle in the first sentence, like 怎么下雨了？).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: "It is possible to delete the 会 in all these examples." I think this contradicts the statement and examples given in the opening.  
> **username_4**: It looks like I was unclear there; I just mean they're grammatical, with or without the 会.  

---

