How do you say "What would you like?" in Japanese?

"What would you like?" in Japanese is "何になさいますか". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘What would you like?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "何になさいますか" mean in English?

"何になさいますか" means "What would you like?" in English. Usage tip: [なさいますか] is a very polite way to ask what someone wants. It is service-style Japanese, more elegant than a plain everyday question.

何になさいますか

nan ni nasai masu ka

[nah-nee nee nah-sigh mahss kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [なさいますか] is a very polite way to ask what someone wants. It is service-style Japanese, more elegant than a plain everyday question.

🇯🇵 In Japan: This kind of respectful wording is common from staff to customers. As a customer, you do not need to answer in equally fancy Japanese.

Phrase Breakdown

何

nan

[nah-nee]

what

Used to ask which item the customer wants.

Example

何にしますかの何は選択を聞く言葉です。

The nani in 'what will you choose?' asks about the selection.

に

[nee]

to / into

In this pattern, it links the choice to what something will be.

Example

何になりますかのには結果を表す感じがあります。

The ni in nani ni narimasu ka gives the sense of what it will become.

なさい

nasai

[nah-sigh]

choose / decide (honorific stem)

An honorific service expression from なさる, used politely for the customer's choice.

Example

お客様にはなさいますかのように丁寧に聞きます。

We politely ask the customer using an honorific expression like nasaimasu ka.

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite verb ending

Adds politeness to the honorific verb phrase.

Example

なさいますかのますで丁寧になります。

The masu in nasaimasu ka makes it polite.

か

[kah]

question marker

Marks the sentence as a polite question.

Example

何になさいますかのかは質問です。

The ka in nani ni nasaimasu ka marks a question.

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