How do you say "What do I need?" in Japanese?

"What do I need?" in Japanese is "何が必要ですか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘What do I need?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "何が必要ですか。" mean in English?

"何が必要ですか。" means "What do I need?" in English. Usage tip: [何が必要ですか] literally means "What is necessary?" Very useful when you are unsure about documents.

何が必要ですか。

nani ga hitsuyou desu ka

[nah-nee gah hee-tsoo-yoh dess kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [何が必要ですか] literally means "What is necessary?" Very useful when you are unsure about documents.

🇯🇵 In Japan: Foreign residents often need several documents, so asking this early can save you an extra trip. The secret boss battle of Japan: paperwork.

Phrase Breakdown

何

nani

[nah-nee]

what

Question word meaning what. Used to ask about needed items or information.

Example

何が必要ですか。

What is necessary?

が

[gah]

subject marker

Particle marking the subject of the sentence.

Example

何が必要ですか。

What is necessary?

必要

hitsuyou

[hee-tsoo-yoh]

necessary

Means necessary or required. Very common in forms and office conversation.

Example

在留カードが必要です。

A residence card is necessary.

です

desu

[dess]

is / polite ending

Polite copula used in standard formal speech.

Example

必要です。

It is necessary.

か

[kah]

question marker

Sentence-ending particle that turns the sentence into a question.

Example

大丈夫ですか。

Is it okay?

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