大丈夫ですか？
daijōbu desu ka?
The English phrase "are you alright?" is translated into Japanese as 大丈夫ですか？ (daijōbu desu ka?)
大丈夫ですか？ is used to ask if someone is okay or safe after an accident or a problem. It can also be used to ask if a proposed plan or a specific situation is acceptable to someone.
Which one should you use?
While 大丈夫ですか？ is the standard way to ask if someone is alright, ご無事ですか？ is specifically used to ask "Are you safe?" and お元気ですか？ means "How are you?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
大丈夫ですか？ is a formal way to ask the question. For friends or family, you can use the informal version 大丈夫？ by dropping the desu ka part. Other informal variations include 大丈夫？元気？ (Are you alright? Feeling good?) and 大丈夫かい？
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Osaka Dialect, one might say 大丈夫やろか？ to mean "Are you alright?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask if someone was alright in the past, such as after an event that has already finished, use the past tense form 大丈夫でしたか？
How do you pronounce it?
daijōbu desu ka?
When do people say it?
To indicate that you are okay when responding to this question, the standard way to say "I am fine" is 大丈夫です。
Did you know?
- The word 大丈夫 originally described a 'great man' or a 'strong person' who could withstand any hardship.
- The phrase 大丈夫 can be used as a powerful way to say 'No thank you' or 'I can manage'. If someone offers you help, responding with 大丈夫です is a common, polite way to decline an offer.
- When someone says 大丈夫？ in a questioning tone, it can be used as a subtle way to suggest that the other person is acting strange or irrational.
Examples in context
- あれ、大丈夫？何かあったの？Hey, are you alright? Is something wrong?
- もしもし、大丈夫？Hello, are you alright?
- 大丈夫ですか？Daijoubu desu ka?Are you alright?
- 転びましたね。大丈夫ですか？Korobimashita ne. Daijoubu desu ka?You fell down. Are you alright?
- 顔色が悪いですが、大丈夫ですか？Kaoiro ga warui desu ga, daijoubu desu ka?You look pale, are you alright?
Example conversation
Ren sees Misaki trip on the stairs.
- 蓮 Ren美咲さん、大丈夫ですか？Misaki-san, daijoubu desu ka?Misaki, are you alright?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、大丈夫です。ありがとうございます。Hai, daijoubu desu. Arigatou gozaimasu.Yes, I am fine. Thank you.
- 蓮 Ren怪我はありませんでしたか？Kega wa arimasen deshita ka?Were you injured?
- 美咲 Misaki大丈夫です。少し驚いただけです。Daijoubu desu. Sukoshi odorita dake desu.I'm fine. I was just a little startled.
