The core question: X wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka
The sentence has four parts, and each one is doing a job. X wa marks the thing you are asking about. Nihongo de means in Japanese, the language used as a tool. Nan to is what, followed by the quotation particle to, which marks the words that will fill the gap. Iimasu ka is the polite question do you say. Put together, it means what do you say for X in Japanese, and the answer always slots into the same place: X wa nihongo de yūgata to iimasu, in Japanese X is called yūgata.
You can drop pieces once the context is clear. If you are already in a Japanese lesson, nihongo de is obvious, so X wa nan to iimasu ka is enough. If you have just pointed at something, X becomes kore, this. The shortest polite version, kore wa nan to iimasu ka, is fine with a teacher, a shop assistant or a stranger on a train.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これは日本語で何と言いますか。 | Kore wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka. | What is this called in Japanese? |
| 「umbrella」は日本語で何と言いますか。 | Umbrella wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka. | How do you say umbrella in Japanese? |
| これは何と言いますか。 | Kore wa nan to iimasu ka. | What is this called? (context already clear) |
| すみません、これは何と言いますか。 | Sumimasen, kore wa nan to iimasu ka. | Excuse me, what is this called? |
| 傘と言います。 | Kasa to iimasu. | It is called kasa. |
| 日本語では「傘」と言います。 | Nihongo de wa kasa to iimasu. | In Japanese it is called kasa. |
Casual forms: nan te iu no and its relatives
With friends, the sentence loosens in two places. The quotation particle to becomes te, which is simply the spoken version, and the polite iimasu ka becomes iu no, with the question particle no doing the work of ka. Kore wa nihongo de nan te iu no is what you will hear between classmates and hosts and guests at home. Drop the no and lift your voice at the end, kore nan te iu, and it is even lighter.
Nan te iu n datta kke is the version for a word you have already learned and lost. The datta kke ending means what was it again, and it signals to the listener that you are not asking for a brand new word, only for a reminder. It is a useful sentence in a lesson because a good teacher will give you a hint rather than the whole answer.
Between the two poles sits nan te iimasu ka, spoken te with polite masu. Japanese people use it constantly with colleagues and acquaintances, and if you are unsure which level to pick, it is rarely wrong.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これ、日本語で何て言うの？ | Kore, nihongo de nan te iu no? | What is this called in Japanese? (casual) |
| これ何て言う？ | Kore nan te iu? | What do you call this? |
| あれ、何て言うんだったっけ。 | Are, nan te iu n datta kke. | What was that called again? |
| 「cozy」って日本語で何て言うの？ | Cozy tte nihongo de nan te iu no? | How do you say cozy in Japanese? |
| これは何て言いますか。 | Kore wa nan te iimasu ka. | What is this called? (polite but relaxed) |
Asking how to read or write a word
Nan to iimasu ka asks for the word itself. When the word is in front of you on a sign or a menu but you cannot pronounce it, the question changes verb: kore wa nan te yomimasu ka, how do you read this. The casual form is nan te yomu no. Yomu covers both reading silently and reading aloud, so the answer you get is the pronunciation, not an explanation of meaning.
The reverse situation, where you know the word but not the writing, uses kaku, to write. X wa dō kakimasu ka asks how X is written; add kanji de if you specifically want the kanji rather than kana. When a name could be written several ways, as most Japanese given names can, dono kanji desu ka, which kanji is it, is the polite way to ask, and people expect the question.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| この漢字は何て読みますか。 | Kono kanji wa nan te yomimasu ka. | How do you read this kanji? |
| これ、何て読むの？ | Kore, nan te yomu no? | How do you read this? (casual) |
| 「さくら」は漢字でどう書きますか。 | Sakura wa kanji de dō kakimasu ka. | How do you write sakura in kanji? |
| お名前はどの漢字ですか。 | O-namae wa dono kanji desu ka. | Which kanji is your name written with? |
| ここに書いてもらえますか。 | Koko ni kaite moraemasu ka. | Could you write it here for me? |
| 「桜」と書きます。 | Sakura to kakimasu. | It is written with the kanji for cherry blossom. |
Asking about a thing, a feeling or an English expression
The easiest thing to ask about is something you can point at. Kore, this near me, sore, that near you, and are, that over there, replace the noun, and a small gesture does the rest. In a shop or restaurant you can lift the item: kore wa nan te iimasu ka. If pointing feels rude, describe it briefly first: ano akai yatsu, that red thing, and then ask.
Feelings are harder because you cannot point at them, so you describe the situation and ask for the word: X toki no kimochi wa nan te iimasu ka, what do you call the feeling when X. A native speaker will often give you two or three candidates, which is exactly what you want.
English expressions are the third case, and here it pays to lower your expectations gently. Ask eigo no X wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka, then add ichiban chikai hyōgen wa, what is the closest expression. That extra clause tells the listener you know there may not be a one-to-one match and invites them to explain the nearest natural phrase rather than a clumsy literal translation.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| あの赤いやつは何て言いますか。 | Ano akai yatsu wa nan te iimasu ka. | What is that red thing called? |
| 試験の前の緊張した気持ちは何て言いますか。 | Shiken no mae no kinchō shita kimochi wa nan te iimasu ka. | What do you call the nervous feeling before an exam? |
| 恥ずかしくて逃げたい気持ちは、日本語で何て言うの？ | Hazukashikute nigetai kimochi wa, nihongo de nan te iu no? | What do you call the feeling of wanting to hide from embarrassment? |
| 英語の「awkward」は日本語で何と言いますか。 | Eigo no awkward wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka. | How do you say awkward in Japanese? |
| 一番近い表現は何ですか。 | Ichiban chikai hyōgen wa nan desu ka. | What is the closest expression? |
| こういう時、日本人は何て言いますか。 | Kō iu toki, nihonjin wa nan te iimasu ka. | What do Japanese people say at a time like this? |
Asking your AI Sensei or a friend
A teacher will often add the politeness level and an example. A friend gives a quick answer and may not notice that the word is slang, so add a follow-up: sore wa teinei na kotoba, is that a polite word, or sensei ni mo tsukaeru, can I use that with a teacher too.
With an AI Sensei you can be demanding in ways that would tire a friend. Ask for the word, then the polite version, then an example sentence, then to hear it slowly and at normal speed. Each answer gives you one more hook to remember the word by.
The table below collects the questions you will use most, at the level you would use with a teacher.
| Question | Reading | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| これは何と言いますか。 | Kore wa nan to iimasu ka. | You want the word for a thing |
| 日本語で何と言いますか。 | Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka. | You give an English word and want the Japanese |
| 何て読みますか。 | Nan te yomimasu ka. | You can see the word but cannot read it |
| どう書きますか。 | Dō kakimasu ka. | You can say the word but cannot write it |
| どういう意味ですか。 | Dō iu imi desu ka. | You heard the word and want the meaning |
| 丁寧な言い方は何ですか。 | Teinei na iikata wa nan desu ka. | You want the polite version |
| もっと自然な言い方はありますか。 | Motto shizen na iikata wa arimasu ka. | Your version works but sounds stiff |
| 例文をお願いします。 | Reibun o onegai shimasu. | You want an example sentence |
| もう一度ゆっくり言ってください。 | Mō ichido yukkuri itte kudasai. | You need it again, slowly |
| よく使いますか。 | Yoku tsukaimasu ka. | You want to know if it is common |
Confirming and remembering the answer
Getting the word is half the exchange. The other half is checking that you heard it correctly and using it before it evaporates. Repeat the word with rising intonation, X desu ka, use it in a full sentence, and finish with a small thank you. Native speakers do this among themselves, so it never sounds odd.
- Echo the word as a question: kasa desu ka, kasa? The other person will correct any sound you got wrong
- Ask for it once more if needed: mō ichido onegai shimasu, or the casual mō ikkai
- Check the meaning fits: X wa umbrella no koto desu ne, X means umbrella, right
- Ask how to write it: dō kakimasu ka, and note the kanji or kana straight away
- Use it immediately in your own sentence: jā, kasa o kaimasu, then I will buy an umbrella
- Close with thanks: arigatō gozaimasu, benkyō ni narimashita, thank you, I learned something
Benkyō ni narimashita, literally it became study, is the polite way to thank someone for teaching you a word, and it invites them to keep helping you.
Mistakes to avoid
The biggest one is asking kore wa nan desu ka when you mean kore wa nan to iimasu ka. Nan desu ka asks what a thing is, and the other person will explain it, sometimes at length, without ever telling you the word. If you want the label, keep iimasu in the sentence. The second is saying nani to iimasu ka with the full nani; it is understood but sounds like a textbook drill. The third is forgetting the quotation particle, kore wa nan iimasu ka, which sounds broken to a native ear.
Match the verb to your senses: yomu for what you see, kaku for what you hear, iu for what you want to be able to say. And do not ask three questions in one breath; ask them one at a time and repeat each answer before the next.
- Nan desu ka when you want the word, not an explanation
- Nani to instead of nan to
- Dropping to or te: kore wa nan iimasu ka
- Asking nan te yomu no about a word you have not seen written
- Three questions in one breath with no space for the answers
- Nodding at an answer you did not catch instead of asking mō ichido