どうですか？
dou desu ka?
In Japanese, "how is it?" is expressed as どうですか？ (dou desu ka?)
This phrase is used to ask for an opinion or impression of something. You can use it to ask about a thing, such as the taste of food, a situation, such as a new job or to make a suggestion like "How about this one?" どうですか？
What does it mean word for word?
The word どう literally means "how".
Which one should you use?
While どうですか？ is a standard polite way to ask how something is, いかがですか？ is a more formal and respectful version used in business or service settings. In casual conversation, you can use the much shorter どう？
How does it change in a sentence?
どうですか？ is the polite form of the question. In casual conversation, you can drop the desu ka part and simply say どう？ to ask "how is it?" どう？
How do you pronounce it?
dou desu ka?
Did you know?
- Japanese has a concept called 'kuuki wo yomu' or 'reading the air', where a person might answer どうですか？ with a vague response to avoid giving a negative opinion and causing conflict.
- When asking about the taste of food, a common way to phrase 'How is it?' is to use the word おいしい (oishii) as a question. Instead of asking 'how is it?', people often ask 'Is it delicious?' to prompt a response.
- If you are asking a superior for their opinion, you should avoid どうですか？ and instead use the humble form いかがでしょうか？ Using the standard version with a boss might sound unintentionally blunt or overly casual.
Examples in context
- 新しい仕事は、どうですか？Atarashii shigoto wa, dou desu ka?How is the new job?
- 日本の生活は、どうですか？Nihon no seikatsu wa, dou desu ka?How is life in Japan?
- この料理は、どうですか？Kono ryouri wa, dou desu ka?How is this dish?
Example conversation
At a restaurant, Hiroto asks Misaki about her meal.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんの料理は、どうですか？Misaki-san no ryouri wa, dou desu ka?How is your dish, Misaki?
- 美咲 Misakiとても美味しいです。Totemo oishii desu.It is very delicious.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.I am glad to hear that.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんの料理もどうですか？Hiroto-san no ryouri mo dou desu ka?How is your dish too, Hiroto?
