もしもし、どなたですか？
moshimoshi, donata desu ka?
The English phrase "hello, who is this?" is translated into Japanese as もしもし、どなたですか？ (moshimoshi, donata desu ka?)
This phrase is used specifically on the phone to ask the identity of the person calling. Note that you should not use もしもし to greet someone in person. For face-to-face greetings, use konnichiwa instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The word どなた is the polite version of だれ (who).
Which one should you use?
While もしもし、どなたですか？ is the standard polite way to ask, you can also say もしもし、だれですか？ to mean "hello, who is it?" Replacing どなた with だれ makes the phrase more casual and less polite, which might sound blunt or rude when speaking to a stranger on the phone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal way to inquire about someone's name, you can use 失礼ですが、お名前を伺ってもよろしいですか？
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase どなたですか？, the question is indicated by the particle か at the end of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
moshimoshi, donata desu ka?
Did you know?
- The word もしもし is a repetition of the verb もす, meaning 'to speak' in a humble way. It originally served as a way to confirm a connection on early telephone lines.
- While もしもし is for phones, using it to get someone's attention in person is often a way of saying 'Are you even listening?' or 'Wake up'.
- In very formal business Japanese, instead of asking どなたですか？, the receiver might use the phrase どちら様でしょうか？, which literally translates to 'Which honorable person is this?'
Examples in context
- やあ、誰だっけ？Hey, who is this again?
Example conversation
A person receives an unexpected phone call.
- 大翔 Hirotoもしもし、どなたですか？moshimoshi, donata desu ka?Hello, who is this?
- 陽葵 Himari陽葵です。Himari desu.It's Himari.
- 大翔 Hirotoあ、陽葵さんですね！A, Himari-san desu ne!Ah, it's Himari!
- 陽葵 Himariはい、そうです。Hai, sou desu.Yes, that's right.
