I don't understand a use of the word “would”
Here is a sentence from the TV show<Friends >:Rachel:”why would anyone do that “
What does the “would “here mean? Does it just mean somebody wants to do something?
And what’s the difference if I replace it with “will”?

Italiano

Will is referred to something in the future. Would means the conditional (when you talk about an action that you’re not sure happens).

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EleonoraR

Italiano

Would is used when you want to express a wish

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Inglês (EUA)

would

wo͝od,wəd,(ə)d/

verb

modal verb: would; modal verb: wouldst

1.

past of will1, in various senses.

"he said he would be away for a couple of days"

2.

(expressing the conditional mood) indicating the consequence of an imagined event or situation.

"he would lose his job if he were identified"

used to give advice.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you"

3.

expressing a desire or inclination.

"I would love to work in Prague"

4.

expressing a polite request.

"would you pour the wine, please?"

expressing willingness or consent.

"who would live here?"

5.

expressing a conjecture, opinion, or hope.

"I would imagine that they'll want to keep it"

6.

used to make a comment about behavior that is typical.

"every night we would hear the boy crying"

7.

literary

expressing a wish or regret.

"would that he had lived to finish it"

Number 4 ("expressing willingness or consent") of the definition explains the meaning of "would" in your given sentence.

In this case you can't replace it with will because the meaning of the sentence changes to future tense - if you replace it.

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Chinês Simples (China)

@Ka_meelah- Thank you for your answer! But there are two explanations in that definition .Did you mean the “willingness or consent “one?😂

Inglês (EUA)

The sentence is written or said in regards to someone who already did the action.

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Inglês (EUA)

Oh sorry you must have been reading while I had edited my answer. The "willingness or consent" is the one.

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Inglês (EUA)

@AdamDamon Yes, I meant "expressing willingness or consent".

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Chinês Simples (China)

@Ka_meelah- Thanks again! 😄So in this circumstance “would “has a feeling of “want“? Like “why does anyone want to do that?”

Inglês (EUA)

Almost, but good. it's a little similar to that.

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Chinês Simples (China)

@Ka_meelah- Thank you so much !You really helped me out

Inglês (EUA)

Thanks you should keep this question open. So, more people can elaborate on it. You may understand another person's explanation better.

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Chinês Simples (China)

@Ka_meelah- yeah ,I will keep it open 😄

morrisonlove

Inglês (EUA)

"Would" is a helping verb. It adds more meaning to the verb or
explains time (past).
"Would" is used in a hypothetical situation or question.
"Will" is saying something is going to happen.

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