はどうですか
🃏 Flashcard
はどうですか
wa dou desu ka
Tap to reveal usage
how about; how is
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
wa dou desu ka
Post ID
50678
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
how about; how is
📖 How to use it
Asks for an opinion or suggestion about something, meaning 'how about' or 'how is'.
Attaches to
Attach to a noun directly: [noun] + はどうですか. No particles between the noun and は.
This is a set phrase used to ask someone's opinion or to make a suggestion. When you want to know how something is, like a place, a thing, or a situation, you use this pattern. For example, if you want to ask about someone's new apartment, you say '新しいアパートはどうですか' (How is your new apartment?). It can also be used to suggest something, like offering tea: 'お茶はどうですか' (How about some tea?). The pattern is polite and safe to use in most situations, but it is not too formal.
新しいアパートはどうですか。
Atarashii apāto wa dō desu ka.
How is your new apartment?
コーヒーはどうですか。
Kōhī wa dō desu ka.
How about some coffee?
日本語の勉強はどうですか。
Nihongo no benkyō wa dō desu ka.
How is your Japanese study going?
Not どうですか (without は)
はどうですか is used when the topic is already known or has been mentioned. Just どうですか is more general, often used as 'How do you feel?' or 'How is it?' without a specific topic. In most cases, はどうですか is more natural when you are asking about a specific thing.
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This is polite, standard Japanese used in both spoken and written contexts. Suitable for everyday conversation with acquaintances, colleagues, or strangers.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
はどうですか
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat はどうですか three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using はどうですか. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern はどうですか mean?
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How about; how is
What JLPT level is はどうですか?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use はどうですか in a sentence?
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Attach はどうですか (wa dou desu ka) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is はどうですか formal or casual Japanese?
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はどうですか is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember はどうですか long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.