How to Say ‘What's up?’ in Japanese
どうしたの？
dou shi ta n
[DOH SHEE TAH NOH]
💬 Usage Tip: [どうしたの？] = “What happened?”/“What’s wrong?” Casual. Politer: [どうしましたか]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Used when someone looks worried or different; it shows concern, and the expected reply is usually brief and indirect.
Phrase Breakdown
どう
dou
[DOH]
what / how (in “what happened?”)
In どうしたの？ it means “What’s wrong?/What happened?” (not “how” in the usual sense).
どうしたの？元気ないね。
What’s wrong? You don’t seem well.
し
shi
[SHEE]
did / happened (part of した)
From する → した (did). In どうしたの it’s like “What did (you) do/what happened?”
どうしたの？何があったの？
What happened? What’s going on?
た
ta
[TAH]
did (past ending)
Completes した (did). Together with どう it forms “どうした” (what happened).
どうしたの？大丈夫？
What happened? Are you okay?
の
n
[NOH]
(explanatory/question tone)
Sentence-ending の adds an explanatory/soft tone in casual speech; どうしたの？ sounds caring/curious.
どうしたの？急に静かだね。
What’s wrong? You suddenly got quiet.
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