What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from dochira, meaning "which" or "where" and sama, which is a highly respectful honorific suffix applied to people.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
どちら様ですか？ is the standard polite way to ask this question. For even more formal or indirect inquiries, such as in professional business settings, you can use どちら様でしょうか？ Other forms exist for different levels of politeness: O-namae wa nan to mōshimasu ka? is a formal way to ask "What do you call yourself?", while Anta wa dare? and Kimi wa? are informal ways to ask "Who are you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question even more indirect and softer, you can replace desu ka with deshou ka, resulting in どちら様でしょうか？ This is common in very formal business contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
dochirasama desu ka?
When do people say it?
When addressing others, remember that adding -san after someone's name shows respect.
Did you know?
- The word どちら ('which') is used instead of だれ ('who') because Japanese culture prizes indirectness. Referring to a person as a 'direction' or 'which one' is less confrontational than asking 'who'.
- While どちら様ですか？ is polite, using the word あなた ('you') in this context can actually sound aggressive or accusatory to a native speaker.
- In very formal settings, a person might answer this question by saying 私事でございますが ('this is a private matter, but…') before stating their name to show humility.
Examples in context
- 失礼ですが、どちら様ですか？shitsurei desu ga, dochira-sama desu ka?Excuse me, but who are you?
- お電話口のどちら様ですか？odenwaguchi no dochira-sama desu ka?Who is speaking on the phone?
- 突然ですが、どちら様ですか？totsuzen desu ga, dochira-sama desu ka?This is sudden, but who are you?
Example conversation
Yui answers the door and finds a man standing there.
- 結衣 Yuiどちら様ですか？dochira-sama desu ka?Who are you?
- 大翔 Hiroto荷物を届けに来た、大翔です。nimotsu o todoke ni kita, Hiroto desu.I'm Hiroto, I've come to deliver a package.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、大翔さんですね。お待ちしていました。a, Hiroto-san desu ne. omachi shite imashita.Ah, you are Mr. Hiroto. I have been waiting for you.
- 大翔 Hiroto失礼します。shitsurei shimasu.Excuse me (as he enters).
