How to Say ‘What do you like?’ in Japanese
どんなことが好きですか？
donna koto ga suki desu ka
[dohn-nah koh-toh gah skee dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: This is a friendly opener. If you want it softer, add [よかったら] at the start: [よかったら、どんなことが好きですか？].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Good rapport move: ask, listen, then mirror back: [へえ、いいですね] + one follow-up question.
Phrase Breakdown
どんな
donna
[dohn-nah]
what kind of; what sort of
Asks about the type/category. In clubs, it’s a friendly way to learn someone’s interests.
どんなスポーツが好きですか？
What kind of sports do you like?
こと
koto
[koh-toh]
thing; matter; (abstract) activity/topic
Refers to an action, topic, or kind of thing. どんなこと = 'what kinds of things/activities'.
好きなことは何ですか。
What do you like (to do)?
が
ga
[gah]
(subject marker)
Marks the subject (the thing being described/liked). With 好き, it marks what is liked.
音楽が好きです。
I like music.
好き
suki
[skee]
like; fond of
Na-adjective meaning 'liked/favorite'. Often used to talk about interests when building rapport in a club.
私はバドミントンが好きです。
I like badminton.
ですか
desu ka
(polite question ending)
です makes it polite; か turns it into a question.
大丈夫ですか。
Are you okay?
Words in this phrase
です
desu
[dess]
(polite) is/are; (polite sentence ending)
Polite copula that makes the sentence sound courteous, useful when talking to seniors/first meetings.
ダンスが好きです。
I like dance.
か
ka
[kah]
question particle; '?'
Turns the sentence into a question; common in polite small talk at club introductions.
どんなことが好きですか。
What kinds of things do you like?
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