〜は どうでしょうか / どうですか (~wa dou deshou ka / dou desu ka) — How is it? / How about this?
Asking how something is going, and softly suggesting something — one pattern, two jobs.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- どうでしょうか is the softer, politer version, so it is the better one with a boss or a customer.
- When you need it even politer, use いかがでしょうか; that is 敬語 and you hear it with customers.
Meaning
- Noun + は どうですか asks "how is that?" — a condition or how something is going (新しい 仕事は どうですか).
- Its second job is making a suggestion: 明日の 3時は どうでしょうか means "how about 3 o'clock tomorrow?" — it does not push, it leaves the other person room to say no.
Watch out
Note: どうですか asks how something is, not why — for a reason you need どうして.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
新しい 仕事は どうですか。
あたらしい しごとは どうですか。
How is the new job?
お父さんの 具合は どうでしょうか。
おとうさんの ぐあいは どうでしょうか。
How is your father doing?
土曜日は どうでしょうか。
どようびは どうでしょうか。
How about Saturday?
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
Which is the softest way to tell your boss "how about 3 tomorrow?"
💡 Hint: でしょうか is softer than ですか.
どうでしょうか suggests without pushing. どうして asks "why", which is something else.
Which question asks a friend what their new job is like?
💡 Hint: どう is the word that asks what something is like.
どうですか asks "how is it / how do you find it". どうして asks the reason, どこ asks the place, and 何時から asks the time.
Which is the politest when speaking to a customer?
💡 Hint: いかが is the 敬語 version of どう.
The politeness ladder: どう < どうですか < どうでしょうか < いかがでしょうか.
Your score: /3