似合ってる？
niatteru?
The Japanese phrase for "how do I look?" is 似合ってる？ (niatteru?)
This phrase is used to ask if a piece of clothing or a style suits the speaker. It is not used to ask about your physical appearance or attractiveness in a general sense, but specifically about how well a specific item suits you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 似合ってる？ is informal and is used with friends, family or partners. The polite version of the phrase is 似合っていますか？
How do you pronounce it?
niatteru?
When do people say it?
A common positive response to this question is 似合ってるよ！ A blunt negative response is 全然似合ってない.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, if a friend asks 似合ってる？ and you think the outfit is quite bad, it is common to use the word 微妙 (bibyo) instead of saying 'no'. This suggests the look is 'subtle' or 'questionable' to avoid being too blunt.
- The verb 似合う 'niau' is used not only for clothes but also for describing a person's personality or role. For example, it can describe someone whose professional title or a specific lifestyle 'suits' them perfectly.
- While English speakers might say 'Does this suit me?', Japanese speakers often use the verb to describe a person 'matching' a color or an atmosphere. You might say a person 青色が似合う (is suited to the color blue) as a permanent character trait.
Examples in context
- この帽子、似合ってる？Kono boushi, niatteru?Does this hat suit me?
- 新しい髪型、似合ってる？Atarashii kamigata, niatteru?Does my new hairstyle suit me?
- この色のドレス、似合ってる？Kono iro no doresu, niatteru?Does this colored dress suit me?
Example conversation
Yui is getting ready for a date and asks Hiroto for his opinion.
- 結衣 Yui結衣：このワンピース、似合ってる？Kono wanpiisu, niatteru?Does this dress suit me?
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：うん、すごく似合ってるよ。Un, sugoku niatteru yo.Yeah, it suits you very well.
- 結衣 Yui結衣：本当？よかった！Hontou? Yokatta!Really? I'm glad!
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：とても綺麗だよ。Totemo kirei da yo.You look very beautiful.
