Asking for Explanation with んですか

Use んですか to ask for explanation, background, or the reason behind what is happening.

Use んですか to ask for explanation or background.Recognize the difference between a plain question and an explanatory question.Read common patterns like どうしたんですか and どうして〜んですか naturally.

Guided study

Questions that ask for explanation

んですか is not just a plain information question. It often asks what happened, why something is happening, or what background the speaker should know.

どうしたんですか。

What happened?

This asks for the situation behind what the speaker sees.

どうして遅れたんですか。

Why were you late?

This asks for the reason behind being late.

今日は休みなんですか。

Is today a day off?

With nouns, the surface form becomes なんですか.

Practice guides for this lesson

Use these hub pages to connect this lesson with related reading practice and grammar paths.

N5 Japanese grammar lessons

Use the N5 Japanese grammar lessons guide to connect this lesson with related reading practice.

Open guide

Japanese grammar practice

Use the Japanese grammar practice guide to connect this lesson with related reading practice.

Open guide

Japanese grammar lessons

Use the Japanese grammar lessons guide to connect this lesson with related reading practice.

Open guide