How to Say ‘What is it?’ in Japanese
何ですか
nani desu ka
[nah-nee dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [何ですか] is the polite “What is it?” Often used after a topic: [弱みは何ですか] (“As for weaknesses, what is it?”).
🇯🇵 In Japan: Direct questions can feel sharp in Japanese, so interviewers often soften with polite forms like [ですか] and gentle tone.
Phrase Breakdown
何
nani
[nah-nee]
what
Question word meaning 'what'. In interviews, it appears in set questions like 'What is your weakness?'
あなたの強みは何ですか。
What is your strength?
です
desu
[dess]
to be (polite); is/are (polite)
Polite copula used before か to form a polite question.
弱みは何ですか。
What is your weakness?
か
ka
[kah]
(question particle)
Placed at the end to make a question in polite Japanese, very common in interviews.
改善するために何かしていますか。
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