How to Say ‘(question; explanatory tone)’ in Japanese
のですか
no desu ka
[noh dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [〜のですか] asks for an explanation, not just a fact. It’s like "So, what’s the reason/background?" in a polite way.
🇯🇵 In Japan: This form invites you to tell a story: your motivation, research, and fit—perfect for the classic motivation question.
Phrase Breakdown
の
no
[noh]
explanatory nominalizer
の adds an explanatory tone (“the reason is…”). In questions, it asks for explanation/background.
なぜ応募したのですか。
Why did you apply? (asking for your reasons)
です
desu
[dess]
polite copula ‘is/are’
Polite form of だ. In のです, it makes the explanation polite and formal.
応募したのです。
I applied (that’s the situation/reason).
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
か turns the sentence into a question (polite).
なぜこの会社に応募したのですか。
Why did you apply to this company?
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