How to Say ‘What is it?’ in Japanese
は何ですか
wa nan desu ka
[wah nahn dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [は] marks the topic, and [何ですか] means "what is it?" Together they make a useful question pattern.
🇯🇵 In Japan: This pattern is flexible: you can ask about dishes, drinks, desserts, or even today’s special.
Phrase Breakdown
は
wa
[wah]
topic marker
A particle that marks what the sentence is about.
おすすめは何ですかのはは、話題を示します。
In “What is the recommendation?”, wa marks the topic.
何
nan
[nahn]
what
A question word used to ask for information about something.
おすすめは何ですかと聞いてみました。
I tried asking, “What is your recommendation?”
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite verb-like word used to state or identify something.
それは人気ですと言われました。
I was told, “That is popular.”
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
A sentence-ending particle that turns a statement into a question.
おすすめは何ですかのかで、質問になります。
The ka in “What is your recommendation?” makes it a question.
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