How to Ask 'What Do You Think?' Politely in Japanese
Learn elementary Japanese phrases for politely asking someone's opinion, including casual and formal forms, with clear pronunciation and usage notes.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Asking for someone's opinion is a core conversation skill. In Japanese, the phrase you choose depends on politeness level and how directly you want to ask. This lesson teaches you how to invite another person's view without giving your own. You will learn the key pattern どう思いますか (dō omoimasu ka) and several natural alternatives for friends, colleagues, and strangers. You will also practice short dialogues so you can use these questions right away.
By the end, you can…
- ask 'What do you think?' politely in Japanese.
- choose between casual and formal ways to ask for an opinion.
- use follow-up questions to invite someone's view.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
どう思いますか。
What do you think?
dō omoimasu ka
Polite and neutral. Use with colleagues, acquaintances, or people you have just met. Note: 思います is pronounced 'omoimasu' (the い in 思います is devoiced, not a long vowel).
どう思う？
What do you think?
dō omou?
Casual. Use with close friends, family, or people of your own age group.
どう思われますか。
What do you think? (very polite)
dō omowaremasu ka
Respectful. Use with superiors, customers, or in formal meetings. 思われます is the honorific (respectful) form of 思います.
～についてどう思いますか。
What do you think about ~?
~ ni tsuite dō omoimasu ka
Add a topic before the pattern. Example: この計画についてどう思いますか (What do you think about this plan?).
いかがですか。
How about it? / What do you think?
ikaga desu ka
Very polite and indirect. Often used in business or when offering a suggestion. Note: いかが is a polite alternative to どう; it does not by itself mean 'what do you think' unless the context makes that clear.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is どう思いますか (dō omoimasu ka). どう (dō) means 'how,' and 思いますか (omoimasu ka) means 'do you think?' Together they ask for an opinion. To ask about a specific topic, put the topic before について (ni tsuite), meaning 'about.' For example: この映画についてどう思いますか (What do you think about this movie?). For a casual version, change 思いますか to 思う？ (omou?). For a respectful version, use 思われますか (omowaremasu ka). Note: 思います is pronounced 'omoimasu' — the い is devoiced, so it is not a long vowel.
When to use it
Use どう思いますか with people you meet in daily life, such as coworkers or classmates. Use どう思う？ only with close friends or family. In business or with someone older, choose どう思われますか or いかがですか. If you want to ask about a plan, say この計画についてどう思いますか. If you are offering a choice, いかがですか works well: コーヒーはいかがですか (Would you like coffee? / How about coffee?). Note that いかがですか is a general polite 'how about it?' and only means 'what do you think?' when the context makes that clear.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
この新しいデザインについてどう思いますか。
What do you think about this new design?Kono atarashii dezain ni tsuite dō omoimasu ka.そうですね。色がとてもいいと思います。
Let me see. I think the colors are very nice.Sō desu ne. Iro ga totemo ii to omoimasu.ありがとうございます。では、この部分はどう思われますか。
Thank you. Then, what do you think about this part?Arigatō gozaimasu. Dewa, kono bubun wa dō omowaremasu ka.もう少し大きいほうがいいかもしれません。
It might be better if it were a little bigger.Mō sukoshi ōkii hō ga ii kamoshiremasen.A little context goes a long way
Japanese often softens direct questions with どう (dō) or いかが (ikaga). In formal situations, people may pause and say そうですね (sō desu ne) before answering, which shows they are considering your question. Avoid pressing for an immediate answer; silence can be polite.
One thing to watch for
Using どう思う？ with a boss or a new acquaintance.
Try this instead: Use どう思いますか or どう思われますか instead. For example, say この案についてどう思いますか to a supervisor, not どう思う？
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely ask a coworker 'What do you think?'
Show a sample answer
どう思いますか。
どう思いますか is the standard polite form. どう思う？ is too casual for a coworker you do not know well.
2Ask 'What do you think about this plan?' in polite Japanese.
Show a sample answer
この計画についてどう思いますか。
Put the topic before について, then add どう思いますか. You can also say この計画はどうですか, which is slightly less direct.
3Which phrase is best for a customer: どう思う？, どう思いますか, or いかがですか。
Show a sample answer
いかがですか。
いかがですか is the most polite and indirect. どう思いますか is also acceptable, but どう思う？ is too casual for a customer.
Use どう思いますか for polite everyday questions, どう思う？ with close friends, and いかがですか or どう思われますか in formal situations. Add ～について to ask about a specific topic.
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