Asking about people
Conversation phrases, Stage 1chunk 44 of 68Asking and following up
Finds out about the people in someone's life and story.
- donna hito?what's he like?; what's she like?
- dou yatte shiriatta no?how did you two meet?
- nante itteta?what did they say?
Mix-ups nante itteta asks what they said; nante iu asks what something is called.
donna hito?
polite donna hito desu ka?
what's he like?; what's she like?
Asking about someone's personality or looks when they come up, like a new boss or a date.
When asking about someone's elder or superior, kata replaces hito: donna kata desu ka?
atarashii joushi, donna hito?
What's your new boss like?
新しい上司、どんな人？
atarashii joushi wa donna hito desu ka?
What's your new boss like?
新しい上司はどんな人ですか？
Written どんな人？ · どんなひと？ · どんな人ですか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 47× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
dou yatte shiriatta no?
polite dou yatte shiriatta n desu ka?
how did you two meet?
Asking a couple or a pair of friends how they met; a staple at weddings and parties.
Common answers: shigoto de ('through work'), tomodachi no shoukai de ('through a friend'), apuri de ('on an app').
kareshi to dou yatte shiriatta no?
How did you meet your boyfriend?
彼氏とどうやって知り合ったの？
goshujin to wa dou yatte shiriatta n desu ka?
How did you meet your husband?
ご主人とはどうやって知り合ったんですか？
Written どうやって知り合ったの？ · どうやってしりあったの？ · どうやって知り合ったんですか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 17× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
nante itteta?
polite nante itte imashita ka?
what did they say?
Asking what someone else said, like a boss, a doctor or a friend you're both waiting on.
Nante is the casual form of nan to; nante itta? asks about one remark at one moment.
kanojo, nante itteta? okotteta?
What did she say? Was she mad?
彼女、何て言ってた？怒ってた？
isha wa nante itte imashita ka?
What did the doctor say?
医者は何て言っていましたか？
Written 何て言ってた？ · なんていってた？ · 何て言っていましたか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 62× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles