How to Say ‘What kind of...?’ in Japanese
どんな〜ですか。
don naa desu ka
[don na dess ka]
💬 Usage Tip: Pattern: [どんな] + noun + [ですか]. Example: [どんな料理ですか] = “What kind of food is it?”
🇯🇵 In Japan: This question sounds curious and polite, good for meeting new people or chatting at events.
Phrase Breakdown
どん
don
[don]
what kind of
The first part of どんな, used when asking about the type or nature of something.
どんな仕事をしていますか。
What kind of work are you doing?
です
desu
[dess]
is / are
A polite copula used to make statements and questions politely.
今は研究中です。
Right now, I am in the middle of research.
か
ka
[ka]
question marker
A sentence-ending particle that turns a statement into a question.
今はどんな開発ですか。
What kind of development are you working on now?
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