Which one should you use?
Use どうしたの？ when asking a person what is wrong with them, but use 何が起きているの？ when you want to ask about an ongoing event or situation in the environment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more polite version suitable for strangers, superiors or formal settings, use どうしましたか？ If you want to be blunt, masculine or very casual, you can use どうした？ without the particle at the end. For strictly formal inquiries about a situation, you can use 何が起こっていますか？ or the even more respectful 何が起こっているのでしょうか？ For a casual way to ask about a situation, you can use 何が起こってるの？ or 何が起こってる？
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase どうしたの？, the particle の at the end is an explanatory particle. It adds a soft, inquisitive tone that is often used when you are seeking an explanation or showing concern for someone.
How do you pronounce it?
dōshita no?
Did you know?
- The verb inside どうしたの？ is the past tense of 'to do', meaning the phrase literally asks 'how did you do?' in a way that implies a change has already occurred.
- If you use the formal どうしましたか？ with a close friend, it might actually come across as cold or distancing, as if you are intentionally creating a professional wall between you.
- Japanese speakers may avoid using どうしたの？ and instead use a vague phrase like 大丈夫？ meaning 'are you okay?' to avoid being too direct about someone's distress.
Examples in context
- 大地震が起こりました。A big earthquake occurred.
- おい、何が起こってるの？Hey, what is happening?
- サッカーの試合が始まるよ！The soccer match is starting!
Example conversation
Yui sees Yota looking sad at home.
- 結衣 Yui陽太、どうしたの？Yōta, dōshita no?Yota, what's wrong?
- 陽太 Yota実は、悩みがあるんだ。Jitsu wa, nayami ga arun da.Actually, I have something on my mind.
- 結衣 Yui何かあったの？Nanika atta no?Did something happen?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、ちょっと複雑なんだ。Un, chotto fukuzatsu nan da.Yeah, it's a bit complicated.
