sensushiClassroom

N5 — outside your level filter

どうですか

どうですかdou desu kaN5neutral

はどうですか

how is …?; how about …? — puts a noun up for judgment

新あたらしい職場しょくばはどうですか。

atarashii shokuba wa dou desu ka.

How's the new workplace? neutral

疲つかれたでしょう。冷つめたいお茶ちゃはどうですか。

tsukareta deshou. tsumetai ocha wa dou desu ka.

You must be tired. How about some cold tea? neutral

All examples4

how is N? — asks for the listener's impression of something already known

  1. 新あたらしい職場しょくばはどうですか。

    atarashii shokuba wa dou desu ka.

    How's the new workplace? neutral

  2. 具合ぐあいはどう？もう熱ねつ下さがった？

    guai wa dou? mou netsu sagatta?

    How are you feeling? Has the fever come down yet? casual

how about N? — offers something the listener can accept or refuse

  1. 疲つかれたでしょう。冷つめたいお茶ちゃはどうですか。

    tsukareta deshou. tsumetai ocha wa dou desu ka.

    You must be tired. How about some cold tea? neutral

  2. 窓側まどがわのお席せきはいかがですか。

    madogawa no o seki wa ikaga desu ka.

    Would a window seat suit you? formal

How it's formed1

All forms3

  • はどうhadoucolloquial

    plain style, spoken — 新あたらしいバイトはどう？

  • はいかがですかhaikagadesukaformal

    the polite step up, standard when serving a customer or addressing a superior — お飲のみ物ものはいかがですか.

  • pastはどうでしたかhadoudeshitaka

Notes

どう can't scale an adjective (×どう安やすいですか); ask どのくらい安やすい
ですか instead. は belongs to the noun, not どうですか; offers often use
でも instead (コーヒーでもどうですか).