何だと思う
nan da to omou
The English phrase "guess what" is translated into Japanese as 何だと思う (nan da to omou).
何だと思う is used to build anticipation before revealing a piece of news, even if the news itself is relatively mundane.
Meaning: used to dramatize the unsurprising (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "what (do you) think (it is)".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 何だと思う is informal and used with friends or family.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding a question mark or rising intonation at the end turns the statement into the conversational 'guess what?'
How do you pronounce it?
nan da to omou
Did you know?
- While 何だと思う works for 'guess what', Japanese speakers often use ねぇ (nee) as a standalone prompt to grab attention before delivering news. This single syllable serves as a social signal that something interesting is about to be shared.
- If you were speaking to a boss or teacher, you would have to change the structure entirely to a much more polite form like 何とお思いですか.
- If a speaker wants to sound more feminine or gentle while saying 'guess what', they might add the particle かな (kana) to the end. This changes the tone from a direct question to a softer, more reflective 'I wonder what you'll think'.
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are talking about a surprise party.
- 陽太 Yota結衣、聞いて。何だと思う？Yui, kiite. Nan da to omou?Yui, listen. Guess what?
- 結衣 Yui何？気になるから早く教えて！Nani? Kininaru kara hayaku oshiete!What? I'm curious, tell me quickly!
- 陽太 Yota実は、明日パーティーがあるんだよ。Jitsu wa, ashita pātī ga arun da yo.Actually, there is a party tomorrow.
- 結衣 Yui本当？楽しみだね！Hontō? Tanoshimi da ne!Really? I'm looking forward to it!
