How to Say ‘What are they?’ in Japanese
何ですか。
nan desu ka
[nan dess ka]
💬 Usage Tip: 何 is read (nan) before です, so 何ですか is (nan desu ka), not (nani desu ka). You'll hear this same change in 何時 (nan-ji) and 何人 (nan-nin).
Phrase Breakdown
何
nan
[nan]
what
An interrogative word used to ask for information.
会社の強みは何ですか。
What is the company's strength?
です
desu
[dess]
is; am; are
A polite copula used to make statements and questions.
こちらが私の質問です。
This is my question.
か
ka
[ka]
question marker
A sentence-ending particle that makes a polite question.
ご説明いただけますか。
Could you explain it to me?
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