The pattern
"How come" plus a normal sentence asks "why", casually. "How come you're up so early?" means "Why are you up so early?" but sounds more curious and less like an interrogation. The trick is the word order: after "how come" the sentence stays in statement order. "How come you're late?", never "How come are you late?"
It often carries surprise. "How come nobody told me?" is a little hurt. "How come it's so cheap?" is suspicious. Said alone, "How come?" is a complete question: "I'm not coming tonight." "How come?"
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
A complete question on its own. Friendly and curious.
A compliment disguised as a question.
Check yourself
Practice · 3 min
Ask why, casually. Prompt on the left, one natural sentence on the right.
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Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.