Why would you say that...instead of Why do you say that?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi there,

I heard these in an American film:

‘Mum, why would you say a thing like that?’ Is this the same as ‘Why do you say a thing like that?’
‘Why would she make our lives such a misery?’ The meaning was clearly: ‘Why is she making our lives such a misery?’

Why is ‘would’ used in these sentences?

Please help me.

Thanks.

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2

The use of ‘would’ in your sentences introduces the idea of incredulity. What I mean is that the speaker can’t really believe/accept what the other person is saying.

Example -

Why would you go by car when it’s quicker to walk there? In other wods I can’t really believe that you would do that.

Why do you go by car when it’s quicker to walk there? This is a straightforward question without any hidden meaning. Preformatted text

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