何がいいですか？
nani ga ii desu ka?
In Japanese, "what would you like?" is said as 何がいいですか？ (nani ga ii desu ka?)
This phrase is a polite way to ask someone to choose something they want or prefer.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "What is good?" 何 (nani) means "what", が (ga) is the subject marker, いい (ii) means "good" and ですか (desu ka) forms a polite question.
Which one should you use?
While 何がいいですか？ asks what would be good (focusing on preference or suitability), the phrase 何が欲しいですか？ is used to directly ask what a person "wants" (focusing on desire).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
何がいいですか？ is a polite, standard way to ask a customer or a guest for their preference due to the use of ですか. In contrast, 何がいい？ is an informal version used with friends or family where the ですか is dropped.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle が is used here to emphasize the subject 何, which makes the question focus specifically on the choice itself.
How do you pronounce it?
nani ga ii desu ka?
Did you know?
- If you answer いいです (ii desu) to this question, you might accidentally tell the speaker 'No thank you'. Depending on the tone, it can either mean 'That is good' or 'I am already fine without it'.
- When answering 何がいいですか？, it is common to use the phrase お任せします (omakase shimasu). This tells the speaker 'I leave the choice to you', showing trust in the other person's taste.
- In very formal settings, the phrase is replaced by 何になさいますか？ (nani ni nasaimasu ka). This uses a special 'honorific' verb that elevates the act of choosing to a higher social status.
Examples in context
- 飲み物は何がいいですか？nomimono wa nani ga ii desu ka?What would you like to drink?
- デザートは何がいいですか？dezāto wa nani ga ii desu ka?What would you like for dessert?
- プレゼントは何がいいですか？purezento wa nani ga ii desu ka?What would you like as a present?
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんは、飲み物は何がいいですか？Yui-san wa, nomimono wa nani ga ii desu ka?Yui, what would you like to drink?
- 結衣 Yuiアイスティーがいいです。Aisutī ga ii desu.I would like an iced tea.
- 健太 Kentaわかりました。すぐ注文しますね。Wakarimashita. Sugu chūmon shimasu ne.Understood. I'll order it right away.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you.
