How to Say ‘How about…? / What will you do?’ in Japanese
どうしますか。
dou shi masu ka
[doh shee mahss kah]
💬 Usage Tip: Polite question. In logistics: [通勤はどうしますか] “How will you commute?”
🇯🇵 In Japan: In interviews, this can be a gentle way of checking responsibility—have a clear plan (train/bus/bike, time).
Phrase Breakdown
どう
dou
[doh]
how; what (will you do)
Here it leads a question asking for method/plan, common for logistics like commuting or shift arrangements.
早番の日はどう しますか。
What will you do on early-shift days (how will you manage)?
します
shi masu
do (polite)
Polite form of する (to do). With どう it asks about a decision/action: どうしますか = “What will you do?”
私はこれにします。
I’ll choose this.
Words in this phrase
し
shi
[shee]
do; handle (stem of する)
Combined with ます to form polite します; used in planning/handling contexts.
通勤は自転車でし ますか。
Do you commute by bicycle?
ます
masu
[mahss]
(polite verb ending) -ます
Polite style used in interview questions and answers.
通勤はバスでし ますか。
Do you commute by bus?
か
ka
[kah]
question particle (turns a sentence into a question)
Placed at the end to indicate a question in polite conversation, especially common in interviews.
通勤は車ですか。近いですか。どの駅からですか。か
Is your commute by car? Is it close? From which station? (Shows how か marks questions.)
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