Japanese Conversation Starters: Ask About Work, Study, Nationality, and Free Time
Learn open-ended Japanese questions to ask about someone's job, major, nationality, age, and hobbies, with polite patterns and a natural dialogue.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Starting a conversation in Japanese is easier when you can ask open-ended questions that invite someone to share. This lesson teaches you to ask about occupation, major, nationality, age, and free time using natural, polite Japanese. You will learn the difference between casual and formal forms, and how to avoid common mistakes like using the wrong question word or omitting the copula. By the end, you will be able to keep a simple conversation going and respond appropriately.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone about their job, major, nationality, age, and hobbies in Japanese.
- use polite and casual question forms appropriately in a conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
お仕事は何ですか。
What is your job?
O-shigoto wa nan desu ka.
Polite and common. Use with acquaintances or strangers. The topic marker は is written with the kana は but pronounced 'wa'.
専攻は何ですか。
What is your major?
Senkō wa nan desu ka.
Use for university students. For high school, ask about subjects instead: 好きな科目は何ですか (suki na kamoku wa nan desu ka).
ご出身はどちらですか。
Where are you from?
Go-shusshin wa dochira desu ka.
Polite way to ask about nationality or hometown. どちら is the polite counterpart of どこ (where).
おいくつですか。
How old are you?
O-ikutsu desu ka.
Polite but direct. Commonly used with children; with adults it can be sensitive, so use only when appropriate.
趣味は何ですか。
What are your hobbies?
Shumi wa nan desu ka.
Open-ended and friendly. Good for starting a conversation. You can also ask 週末は何をしますか (shūmatsu wa nani o shimasu ka) for weekend activities.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [topic] は [question word] ですか。 The topic is marked by the particle は, which is pronounced 'wa'. The question word depends on what you ask. For occupation, use 何 (nan) with お仕事 (o-shigoto). For nationality, use どちら (dochira) with ご出身 (go-shusshin). For age, use おいくつ (o-ikutsu). For major, use 何 (nan) with 専攻 (senkō). For hobbies, use 何 (nan) with 趣味 (shumi). Examples: お仕事は何ですか。 (What is your job?), 専攻は何ですか。 (What is your major?), ご出身はどちらですか。 (Where are you from?), おいくつですか。 (How old are you?), 趣味は何ですか。 (What are your hobbies?).
When to use it
Use the polite forms with strangers, acquaintances, or in formal settings. With close friends, you can drop です/ですか and use casual forms: 仕事は何？ (Shigoto wa nani?), 専攻は何？ (Senkō wa nani?), 出身はどこ？ (Shusshin wa doko?), いくつ？ (Ikutsu?), 趣味は何？ (Shumi wa nani?). For age, おいくつですか is polite but can be too direct for adults; in casual conversation, いくつ？ is common among friends. For nationality, ご出身はどちらですか is safe and polite. Avoid asking age unless the context makes it appropriate.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
こんにちは。お仕事は何ですか。
Hello. What is your job?Konnichiwa. O-shigoto wa nan desu ka.日本語の教師です。あなたは。
I am a Japanese teacher. And you?Nihongo no kyōshi desu. Anata wa.学生です。専攻は何ですか。
I am a student. What is your major?Gakusei desu. Senkō wa nan desu ka.文学です。趣味は何ですか。
Literature. What are your hobbies?Bungaku desu. Shumi wa nan desu ka.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese, polite questions often use the お- prefix (お仕事, おいくつ) to show respect. However, asking age directly can be impolite in formal situations; it is more common among friends or with children. When asking about nationality, ご出身はどちらですか is neutral and polite. Avoid using casual forms with superiors unless you know them well.
One thing to watch for
Using 何歳ですか (nansai desu ka) to ask age in polite conversation.
Try this instead: 何歳ですか is direct and can sound blunt. Use おいくつですか for polite contexts, or いくつ？ among friends. Example: おいくつですか。 (How old are you?)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask someone's major in polite Japanese?
Show a sample answer
専攻は何ですか。
This uses the pattern [topic] は 何 ですか. 専攻 (senkō) means major. A casual alternative is 専攻は何？.
2What is the polite way to ask where someone is from?
Show a sample answer
ご出身はどちらですか。
ご出身 (go-shusshin) means origin or hometown, and どちら (dochira) is the polite form of どこ (doko). A casual alternative is 出身はどこ？.
3Translate to Japanese: 'What are your hobbies?'
Show a sample answer
趣味は何ですか。
趣味 (shumi) means hobby. This is a friendly open-ended question. In casual speech, you can say 趣味は何？.
Use は (wa) to mark the topic, and choose the right question word: 何 (nan) for things, どちら (dochira) for polite 'where', おいくつ (o-ikutsu) for polite age. Adjust politeness with です/ですか or casual forms depending on your relationship.
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