How do you say "What is your job?" in Japanese?

"What is your job?" in Japanese is "お仕事は何ですか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘What is your job?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "お仕事は何ですか。" mean in English?

"お仕事は何ですか。" means "What is your job?" in English. Usage tip: [お仕事] is polite, and [は] sets the topic: “As for your job…?” Natural alternatives: [お仕事は何をされていますか].

お仕事は何ですか。

o shigoto wa nani desu ka

[oh shee-goh-toh wah nahn (sometimes 'nah-nee') dess kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [お仕事] is polite, and [は] sets the topic: “As for your job…?” Natural alternatives: [お仕事は何をされていますか].

🇯🇵 In Japan: At networking events, this question is common, but it’s polite to ask after a brief greeting and exchange of names.

Phrase Breakdown

お

[oh]

honorific prefix (polite)

Polite prefix added to some nouns to show respect. お仕事 is a polite way to say “job/work.”

Example

お仕事はお忙しいですか。

Is work busy?

仕事

shigoto

[shee-goh-toh]

work; job

Core noun meaning “work/job.” With お it becomes more polite: お仕事.

Example

お仕事は何ですか。

What is your job?

は

[wah]

topic marker particle (as for...)

Marks the topic of the sentence: お仕事は… = “As for your job, …”

Example

私は学生は忙しいと思います。

I think students are busy.

何

nani

[nahn (sometimes 'nah-nee')]

what

In this pattern 何ですか, it’s usually read なん: なんですか = “what is it?”

Example

お名前は何ですか。

What is your name?

です

desu

[dess]

is (polite)

Polite copula used in questions too: 何ですか = “what is it?” (polite).

Example

これは何ですか。

What is this?

か

[kah]

question particle (turns into a question)

Placed at the end to make a question in polite Japanese.

Example

今、時間がありますか。

Do you have time now?

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