GrammarJLPT N5
→ how
How / In What Way
JLPT N5AdverbNeutral
どう is a fundamental interrogative adverb used to ask about the manner, state, or quality of something. It translates most naturally as "how" or "in what way" in English. どう is used to inquire about someone's opinion, the condition of something, or the method of doing something. It is neutral in register and appropriate for everyday conversation. When a more polite or formal alternative is needed, いかが can be used instead. どう differs from どんな, which is a pre-noun adjectival meaning "what kind of" and must modify a noun directly, whereas どう functions as an adverb and modifies verbs or stands with the copula です. The expression どう is extremely versatile and appears in many common set phrases such as どうですか (How is it?), どうしましたか (What happened?), and どうぞ (please / go ahead).
Functions
#1 Asking for an opinion or impression
Structure
どう + ですか
日本の食べ物はどうですか。
Here どう is used with ですか to ask for the listener's opinion or impression about Japanese food. This is one of the most common uses of どう and is a natural, polite way to invite someone to share their thoughts or feelings about a topic. The question is open-ended and the listener can respond with adjectives or descriptions.How is Japanese food? / What do you think of Japanese food?
Structures
- Asking about state/opinion
- どう + です（か）
- Asking about manner
- どう + Verb
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing どう with どんな. While どう is an adverb and pairs with verbs or です, どんな is a pre-noun modifier and must be followed by a noun (e.g., どんな本 "what kind of book"). Saying どう本 is incorrect. Another frequent error is using どう in formal situations where いかが would be more appropriate, such as when speaking to a customer or superior. Learners also sometimes confuse どう with どうして (why) or どうやって (how / by what means); while these words are related, どうして asks for a reason, and どうやって specifically emphasizes the process or steps of doing something, whereas どう on its own is broader and more general.
Related
いかがどんなどのようにどうやってどうして