How to Say ‘What happened?’ in Japanese
どうしましたか。
dou shi mashi ta ka
[doh shee mah-shee ta kah]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Said by someone you've approached, this is less "What happened?" and more "What's up, how can I help?", so don't read it as alarm.
Phrase Breakdown
どう
dou
[doh]
how; what
Used to ask what should be done.
どうすればいいですか。
What should I do?
し
shi
[shee]
do (stem)
The stem form of する used in polite expressions.
今しないほうがいいですか。
Is it better not to do it now?
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
polite past stem
Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.
昨日は多くのことを学びました。
I learned many things yesterday.
た
ta
[ta]
past tense
Indicates a completed action.
映画を見た。
I saw a movie.
か
ka
[kah]
question particle
「か」で依頼を質問の形にします。語尾を上げると自然です。
手順を説明してもらえますか。
Could you explain the procedure?
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