How do you say "What’s wrong?/How can I help you?" in Japanese?

"What’s wrong?/How can I help you?" in Japanese is "どうしましたか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘What’s wrong?/How can I help you?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "どうしましたか。" mean in English?

"どうしましたか。" means "What’s wrong?/How can I help you?" in English. Usage tip: A gentle check-in. It can mean “What happened?” or “What seems to be the issue?” depending on context.

どうしましたか。

dou shi mashi ta ka

[doh shee mah-shee tah kah]

💬 Usage Tip: A gentle check-in. It can mean “What happened?” or “What seems to be the issue?” depending on context.

🇯🇵 In Japan: Teachers/staff often ask this right after greeting to quickly understand the purpose of the call.

Phrase Breakdown

どう

dou

[doh]

how; what

In どうしましたか, it means “what happened/what’s wrong?” as a polite inquiry.

Example

どうしましたか。きょうはお休みですか。

What’s the matter? Is it a day off today?

し

shi

[shee]

do (verb stem)

Stem of する (“to do”). Used in set question どうしましたか.

Example

どうしまして、こちらこそ。

Not at all, likewise. (fixed phrase)

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

did (polite past form part)

Part of しました (polite past of する). In どうしましたか it asks about what happened.

Example

何かありましたか。どうしましたか。

Did something happen? What’s wrong?

た

[tah]

past ending (ta)

Makes past tense in polite form (しました).

Example

どうしましたか。

What happened?

か

[kah]

question marker

Turns the sentence into a question; very common in polite inquiries.

Example

どうしましたか。

What happened?

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