いかがですか
ikaga desu ka
The English phrase "would you like" can be translated into Japanese as いかがですか (ikaga desu ka).
いかがですか is used as a polite way to offer something to someone or to make a suggestion. In formal service settings, such as restaurants or stores, you might encounter different specific expressions: ご利用になりますか？ is used to ask if someone would like to use a particular service or product, while ご希望はありますか？ is a formal way to ask "Do you have any preferences?" depending on the person's desires or needs.
What does it mean word for word?
The word いかが is a polite way of saying "how" or "in what way".
Which one should you use?
いかがですか is more formal and polite than どうですか, which translates to "how is it" or "how about" when making an offer.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
いかがですか is a polite expression suitable for use with customers, superiors or strangers. In contrast, if you are in an informal setting, you can use どうする？ to ask what someone would like to do or if they want something or 何がいい？ to ask someone what they would like or prefer.
How does it change in a sentence?
To offer a specific object, place the object followed by the particle は before いかがですか.
How do you pronounce it?
ikaga desu ka
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, offering something with いかがですか is often a ritual of politeness where the guest is expected to decline once or twice before accepting.
- A common way to respond to いかがですか when declining is to say 結構です, which literally means 'it is sufficient' rather than 'no thank you'.
- In high-end Japanese hospitality, known as omotenashi, the phrase いかがですか is used to anticipate a guest's needs before the guest even realizes they want something.
Examples in context
- 一杯いかがですか。Would you like a drink?This sentence is useful for offering a drink.Tatoeba #190221 by bunbuku, translation #435197 by CK
- パンはいかがですか？Would you like some bread?This sentence is useful for offering bread.Tatoeba #8729113 by small_snow, translation #3620365 by CK
- 夕飯はいかがですか？Would you like some dinner?This sentence is useful for offering dinner.Tatoeba #8729197 by small_snow, translation #3123362 by CK
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta is offering Yui a drink at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さん、温かいお茶はいかがですか？Yui-san, atatakai ocha wa ikaga desu ka?Yui, would you like some warm tea?
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。いただきます。Arigatou gozaimasu. Itadakimasu.Thank you. I'll have some.
- 健太 Kenta砂糖はいかがですか？Satou wa ikaga desu ka?Would you like some sugar?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、結構です。Iie, kekkou desu.No, thank you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
