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In Japanese, 「どんな」 and 「どう」 are both often translated into Chinese as 「怎樣」, but their actual usage differs considerably once they are placed in a sentence. 「どんな」 is most commonly followed by a noun and is used to ask what kind of person, thing, or place something is. 「どう」, on the other hand, is more commonly used in questions asking how something is or how an action should be carried out.

For example, if you see an unfamiliar dish at a restaurant, you can ask 「これはどんな料理ですか」. After a trip, if you want to know how someone who traveled with you felt about it, you would say 「旅行はどうでしたか」. If you do not know how to get to the station, you can ask 「駅までどう行きますか」. All three sentences could involve 「怎樣」 or 「怎麼」 in Chinese, but in Japanese they are respectively asking about the characteristics of a dish, someone’s impression of a trip, and the method of getting somewhere.

This article starts with three common patterns—「どんな＋noun」, 「Nはどうですか」, and 「どう＋verb」—then compares the difference between 「どんな」 and 「何の」, with travel situations and the Korean expressions 「어떤／어때요／어떻게」 for comparison.

The Difference Between Japanese 「どんな」 and 「どう」: First Check Whether You Are Asking About a Noun’s Characteristics or About a State or Method

The biggest difference between 「どんな」 and 「どう」 is where they appear in a sentence. 「どんな」 directly modifies a noun and asks “what kind of N.” 「どう」 treats something as the topic and asks about its current state, an impression, an evaluation, or, when used with a verb, how something is done. Both may be translated into Chinese as 「怎樣」, but they cannot be used interchangeably simply because their Chinese translations look similar.

Comparison	「どんな」	「どう」
Basic structure	どんな＋noun	Nはどうですか／どう＋verb
Main question	Type, nature, characteristics	State, impression, evaluation, method
Can it be followed directly by a noun?	Yes, and it normally requires a noun	It is not used in a 「どう＋noun」 pattern
Representative question	どんな映画ですか	映画はどうでしたか
Easy point of confusion in Chinese	What kind of / what type of	How is it / how / how to do it

For example, before checking into a hotel, if you want to ask about its type or features, you would use 「どんなホテルですか」. After the stay, if you want to ask about the overall experience, you would use 「ホテルはどうでしたか」.

How to Use Japanese 「どんな」: Asking About Type, Nature, and Characteristics

「どんな」 is normally followed by a noun and is used to ask what kind of person, thing, or place something is. If you want to know someone’s personality, the characteristics of a dish, what a place is like, or what kind of music someone likes, you can use 「どんな＋noun」. There is no fixed format for the answer. It may name a specific type, or it may use adjectives or other descriptions to explain the characteristics.

Usage ① of 「どんな」｜Asking About the Characteristics of a Person, Thing, or Place

This use is not about choosing one option from several possibilities. Instead, it asks the other person to describe the noun itself in more detail. With 「どんな人」, the answer can describe someone’s personality or the impression they give. With 「どんなところ」, the answer can explain the environment, atmosphere, or local characteristics. With 「どんな料理」, the answer can describe ingredients, flavor, cooking method, and other aspects. Whenever the question is essentially asking “What is this thing like?”, 「どんな」 is commonly used.

• Example: 田中さんはどんな人ですか。
  Kana: たなかさんはどんなひとですか。
  Translation: What kind of person is Mr. Tanaka?
  「どんな」 directly modifies 「人」, and the question focuses on the person’s personality or characteristics.
• Example: どんなところですか。
  Kana: どんなところですか。
  Translation: What kind of place is it?
  「ところ」 is a noun, so 「どんな」 is placed before it to ask about the appearance or characteristics of the place.
• Example: これはどんな料理ですか。
  Kana: これはどんなりょうりですか。
  Translation: What kind of dish is this?
  You already know that what you are looking at is a dish and now want to learn more about its content or characteristics, so 「どんな＋料理」 is used.

Usage ② of 「どんな」｜Asking About Preferred Types or Specific Preferences

「どんな」 can also be used to narrow down a very broad question. Rather than simply asking whether someone likes music or sports, adding 「どんな」 changes the question into one about specific preferences, such as what kind of music or sport they like or what flavors of food they prefer. The answer does not have to be a formal category. Descriptions such as 「辛いもの」 or 「静かな音楽」 are also possible.

• Example: どんな音楽が好きですか。
  Kana: どんなおんがくがすきですか。
  Translation: What kind of music do you like?
  「音楽」 is a broad category, and 「どんな」 narrows the question down to the preferred type.
• Example: どんなスポーツが好きですか。
  Kana: どんなすぽーつがすきですか。
  Translation: What kind of sports do you like?
  The answer can be a specific sport such as soccer, tennis, or swimming.
• Example: どんな食べ物が好きですか。
  Kana: どんなたべものがすきですか。
  Translation: What kind of food do you like?
  You can answer with a type of cuisine, or describe a flavor preference with expressions such as 「辛いもの」 or 「甘いもの」.

How Is 「どう」 Used? It Can Ask About Impressions and States, and It Can Also Be Used Before a Verb to Ask About a Method

「どう」 does not require one particular kind of noun after it. Its actual meaning depends on what it is asking about in the sentence. In patterns such as 「Nはどうですか」, it is commonly used to ask how something currently is or how someone feels about it. When placed before a verb, it can ask how an action is performed. Both uses may be translated into Chinese as 「怎樣」 or 「怎麼」, but the expected answers are completely different.

Usage ① of 「どう」｜Asking About the State, Impression, or Evaluation of a Known Topic

When the topic is already clear and there is no need to explain “what this is” again, 「どう」 can be used to ask directly about someone’s impression of it or its current state. If a trip has already ended, you can ask how the whole trip was. If both speakers already know that they are talking about Japanese food, you can then ask how it tastes or what someone thinks of it. 「どうですか」 is commonly used for a current situation, while 「どうでしたか」 is often used to ask about an experience that has already ended.

• Example: 旅行はどうでしたか。
  Kana: りょこうはどうでしたか。
  Translation: How was the trip?
  The trip has already ended, so the past form 「どうでしたか」 is used to ask for an impression.
• Example: 日本の食べ物はどうですか。
  Kana: にほんのたべものはどうですか。
  Translation: How is Japanese food?
  The topic is already 「日本の食べ物」, and 「どう」 asks about the person’s impression or evaluation of it.
• Example: 日本語の勉強、どうですか。
  Kana: にほんごのべんきょう、どうですか。
  Translation: How is your Japanese study going?
  This question asks about the current progress or experience.

Usage ② of 「どう」｜Placing It Before a Verb to Ask About a Method or Way of Doing Something

When 「どう」 appears before a verb, the question focuses on the action itself—for example, how to use something, how to read a kanji, or how to get somewhere. In this case, the speaker is not asking for an evaluation of something but needs the other person to explain the method or procedure. 「どうやって」 can also appear in this type of sentence and points more directly to a method, means, or procedure. 「どう」 itself has a broader range and can be used not only for methods but also for states and impressions.

• Example: これはどう使いますか。
  Kana: これはどうつかいますか。
  Translation: How do you use this?
  「どう」 appears before 「使います」 and asks about the method of operation.
• Example: この漢字はどう読みますか。
  Kana: このかんじはどうよみますか。
  Translation: How do you read this kanji?
  The question focuses on how 「読む」 is performed, so 「どう＋読みます」 is used.
• Example: 駅までどう行きますか。
  Kana: えきまでどういきますか。
  Translation: How do you get to the station?
  「どう」 asks about the method of getting to the station. You can also say 「駅までどうやって行きますか」 to make the question about transportation or the method of travel more explicit.

What Is the Difference Between 「どんなN」 and 「Nはどう」? The Same Topic Can Lead to Different Questions

Both 「どんな＋noun」 and 「Nはどう」 can be used to ask about the same person, thing, or place, but the information being requested is different. 「どんな＋noun」 asks what that N is like, so the answer can describe its type, nature, appearance, or other characteristics. 「Nはどう」 first makes N the topic, then asks how it currently is, how someone feels about it, or what evaluation they have of it. For example, 「どんな映画ですか」 asks what kind of movie it is, while 「その映画はどうでしたか」 asks what someone thought after watching it.

Comparison	「どんな＋noun」	「Nはどう」
Basic meaning	What kind of N	How is N?
Focus of the question	The type, nature, or characteristics of N itself	The state of N, impressions of it, or an evaluation
Common pattern	どんな＋名詞＋ですか	N＋は＋どうですか／どうでしたか
Common answers	Category, adjective, appearance, or description of characteristics	Whether it is good, whether someone likes it, its current state, actual impressions
Position of the noun	The noun being asked about comes directly after 「どんな」	The noun becomes the topic first, then 「どう」 is used to ask about it
Appropriate situation	You still want to know what kind of thing N is	You already know which N is being discussed and then ask how it is
Example	どんな映画ですか。	その映画はどうでしたか。
Nuance of the example	You want to know the movie’s genre, content, or characteristics	You want to know someone’s impression after watching the movie

▌「どんな映画」 vs 「映画はどう」｜Asking About the Movie Itself vs Asking for an Impression After Watching It

When talking about a movie, 「どんな映画ですか」 asks for information about the movie itself. You may want to know whether it is a comedy or a horror film, or roughly what the story is about. 「映画はどうでしたか」 does not require the movie itself to be introduced again; the focus has shifted to the viewer’s experience after watching it. The first question can be answered with a genre or description of the content, while the second can produce evaluations such as “It was very good,” “It was a little boring,” or “It was harder to understand than I expected.”

• Example: それはどんな映画ですか。
  Kana: それはどんなえいがですか。
  Translation: What kind of movie is that?
  The focus is on 「映画」 itself, so possible answers include 「ホラー映画です」 or 「家族についての映画です」, describing the movie’s genre or content.
• Example: その映画はどうでしたか。
  Kana: そのえいがはどうでしたか。
  Translation: How was that movie?
  The speakers already know which movie is being discussed, and the question now asks about the viewer’s impression. Possible answers include 「面白かったです」 or 「少し難しかったです」.

▌「どんなホテル」 vs 「ホテルはどう」｜Asking About the Hotel’s Features vs Asking About the Stay

Before checking in, while comparing accommodation options, 「どんなホテルですか」 can be used to ask what the hotel is generally like, including its size, style, location, or facilities. After staying there, asking 「ホテルはどうでしたか」 is more naturally understood as a question about the accommodation experience. Both sentences are about a hotel, but the first asks for information about the hotel itself, while the second asks how the actual stay felt.

• Example: 泊まるホテルはどんなホテルですか。
  Kana: とまるホテルはどんなホテルですか。
  Translation: What kind of hotel are you going to stay at?
  You are still learning about the accommodation itself, so answers can include characteristics such as 「駅に近い小さいホテルです」 or 「温泉があるホテルです」.
• Example: 泊まったホテルはどうでしたか。
  Kana: とまったホテルはどうでしたか。
  Translation: How was the hotel you stayed at?
  The stay has already taken place, so this question is more likely to ask about the room, service, or overall accommodation experience. An answer could be 「静かでよかったです」.

▌「どんな店」 vs 「店はどう」｜Asking What Kind of Shop It Is vs Asking Whether the Shop Is Good

「どんな店ですか」 can be used when you have never been to a particular shop and have only heard its name, and you want to know what it sells, what the atmosphere is like, or what kind of shop it is. 「その店はどうですか」 is more like asking what someone thinks of a shop that both speakers already know. The first question fills in information about the shop, while the second is more likely to receive recommendations, evaluations, or impressions based on actual experience.

• Example: 駅前にできた店はどんな店ですか。
  Kana: えきまえにできたみせはどんなみせですか。
  Translation: What kind of shop is the new place in front of the station?
  Possible answers include 「パン屋です」「小さいカフェです」「韓国料理の店です」, describing the type or characteristics of the shop.
• Example: 駅前の新しい店はどうでしたか。
  Kana: えきまえのあたらしいみせはどうでしたか。
  Translation: How was the new shop in front of the station?
  This question asks for an evaluation after actually visiting it, and possible answers include 「料理がおいしかったです」 or 「ちょっと高かったです」.

▌Even If the Answer Is “It’s Delicious,” the Question Determines Whether to Use 「どんな」 or 「どう」

When deciding between 「どんな」 and 「どう」, you can also work backward by considering what kind of answer you expect. If the expected answer introduces “what this thing is,” then 「どんな＋noun」 is usually appropriate. If the expected answer is something like “very good,” “not bad,” “a little expensive,” or “very convenient,” which expresses an impression or state, then it is closer to 「Nはどう」. In Chinese, both may simply appear as 「怎樣」, but in Japanese the two questions are requesting different kinds of information.

• Example: これはどんな料理ですか。
  Kana: これはどんなりょうりですか。
  Translation: What kind of dish is this?
  Possible answers include 「魚を使った料理です」 or 「辛い料理です」, which introduce the dish itself.
• Example: この料理はどうですか。
  Kana: このりょうりはどうですか。
  Translation: How is this dish?
  Possible answers include 「おいしいです」 or 「少し辛いです」, expressing how it tastes or an evaluation of it.

The Difference Between 「どんな」 and 「何の」: How Do You Choose When They Come Before a Noun?

Both 「どんな」 and 「何の」 can be followed by a noun, and their meanings do overlap in some situations. 「どんな＋noun」 usually asks what qualities or characteristics the noun has, or roughly what type it belongs to. 「何の＋noun」, on the other hand, often focuses on the noun’s content, purpose, field, or affiliation. Using 「本」 as an example, 「どんな本ですか」 can ask what kind of book it is, while 「何の本ですか」 more directly asks what the book is about. In actual conversation, both questions may sometimes receive the same answer, so the distinction cannot be made solely from the Chinese translation. You have to consider what information the speaker wants at that moment.

Comparison	「どんな＋noun」	「何の＋noun」
Basic meaning	What kind of N	N of what / N about what
Commonly asks about	Nature, characteristics, appearance, type	Content, purpose, field, affiliation
Scope of the question	Relatively broad and may be answered with a full description	Often asks what the preceding category or content is
Common answer form	Adjective＋noun, type, full description	N1のN2, a specific field or content
Can they ask for the same information?	Yes	Yes
Can they always replace each other?	Not necessarily; it depends on what the speaker wants to ask	Not necessarily; it depends on the context
Example	どんな本ですか。	何の本ですか。
Nuance of the example	What kind of book is this?	What is this book about?

▌「どんな本」 vs 「何の本」｜Asking About the Book’s Characteristics vs Asking What It Is About

「どんな本ですか」 has a broader range. The answer can describe the book’s genre or content, but it can also say that it is easy to read, has many photographs, or is short. 「何の本ですか」 is more readily understood as “What is this book about?”, so the answer usually gives the subject directly, such as cooking, history, photography, or Japanese. Both questions may be answered with 「料理の本です」, so the difference is not that their answers must always look different. It lies in where the original question places its focus.

• Example: これはどんな本ですか。
  Kana: これはどんなほんですか。
  Translation: What kind of book is this?
  You can answer 「写真が多くて、読みやすい本です」 or 「日本の家庭料理を紹介する本です」, leaving considerable room for description.
• Example: これは何の本ですか。
  Kana: これはなんのほんですか。
  Translation: What is this book about?
  You can answer directly with 「料理の本です」 or 「日本史の本です」 to tell the other person the book’s subject or field.

▌「どんな店」 vs 「何の店」｜Asking About a Shop’s Characteristics vs Asking What It Sells

When you see an unfamiliar shop, 「何の店ですか」 is well suited to directly checking what kind of business it is, such as a bakery, clothing shop, or café. 「どんな店ですか」 can go further and ask about the shop’s style, prices, atmosphere, or other characteristics. If you are simply standing outside a shop and want to know “What exactly do they sell here?”, 「何の店」 is usually closer to that intention.

• Example: あそこはどんな店ですか。
  Kana: あそこはどんなみせですか。
  Translation: What kind of shop is that?
  Possible answers include 「地元の人に人気の小さいカフェです」 or 「夜遅くまで開いている店です」, describing various characteristics of the shop.
• Example: あそこは何の店ですか。
  Kana: あそこはなんのみせですか。
  Translation: What does that shop sell?
  / What kind of shop is that?Answers such as 「パン屋です」 or 「服の店です」 directly explain the shop’s type or business.

▌「どんな会社」 vs 「何の会社」｜Asking What a Company Is Like vs Asking What the Company Does

「どんな会社ですか」 can be used to talk about a company’s size, atmosphere, systems, or other characteristics. 「何の会社ですか」 is commonly used to confirm what industry the company operates in or what products or services it provides. When you hear an unfamiliar company name for the first time and want to know “What does this company do?”, 「何の会社ですか」 is very direct. If you already know the industry and want to learn more about the work environment or company characteristics, you can use 「どんな会社ですか」.

• Example: 新しい会社はどんな会社ですか。
  Kana: あたらしいかいしゃはどんなかいしゃですか。
  Translation: What kind of company is the new company?
  Possible answers include 「社員が少ない会社です」 or 「海外との仕事が多い会社です」, describing what the company itself is like.
• Example: その会社は何の会社ですか。
  Kana: そのかいしゃはなんのかいしゃですか。
  Translation: What kind of business is that company in?
  Possible answers include 「食品の会社です」 or 「ITの会社です」, directly stating the company’s field of business.

▌Why Can the Same Answer 「料理の本です」 Work for Both Questions?

「どんな本ですか」 and 「何の本ですか」 do not always produce completely different answers. In 「料理の本です」, 「料理」 can be treated as the type of book, but it can also answer what the book is about, so the same answer may work for both questions. The real difference is the scope of the question. 「どんな」 leaves the respondent more room to describe, while 「何の」 tends to narrow the answer toward information such as “what it is about,” “what it is used for,” or “what field it belongs to.”

• Example: どんな本を買いましたか。
  Kana: どんなほんをかいましたか。
  Translation: What kind of book did you buy?
  You can answer 「料理の本です」, or expand it to 「写真がたくさん載っている料理の本です」 and include the book’s characteristics.
• Example: 何の本を買いましたか。
  Kana: なんのほんをかいましたか。
  Translation: What was the book you bought about?
  Answering 「料理の本です」 already responds directly to the information being requested.

When distinguishing 「どんな」 from 「何の」, there is no need to memorize them rigidly as “one asks about characteristics and the other asks about type.” Their meanings naturally overlap. A more practical way to distinguish them is to consider how much descriptive freedom the question leaves. If you want to know “What kind of N is this?”, use 「どんな」. If you want to directly confirm “What is this about, what does it do, or what field does this N belong to?”, 「何の」 is usually more appropriate.

Practical Japanese for Travel: How to Use 「どんな」 and 「どう」 at Restaurants, Hotels, and When Asking for Directions

When traveling, you may use 「どんな」 and 「どう」 when you encounter an unfamiliar dish, want to ask about someone’s accommodation experience, or do not know how to reach a destination. 「どんな」 most commonly comes before a noun and asks “What kind of thing is this?”, so when you see an unfamiliar dish, hotel, or sightseeing spot, you can use 「どんな＋noun」 to ask about its type or characteristics. 「どう」 can ask how something currently is or what it actually feels like, and it can also come before a verb to ask about a method or way of traveling. 「これはどんな料理ですか」 asks about the dish itself, 「ホテルはどうですか」 asks about the state or experience of the accommodation, and 「駅までどう行きますか」 asks how to get to the station. Chinese may use 「怎樣」 or 「怎麼」 in all of these cases, but in Japanese you need to consider whether the actual question is “What kind of thing is it?”, “How does it feel?”, or “How do you do it?”

▌Situation ①｜Asking About an Unfamiliar Dish at a Restaurant

A：これはどんな料理ですか？
　　これはどんなりょうりですか？
　　What kind of dish is this?

B：魚と野菜を使った、少し辛い料理です。
　　さかなとやさいをつかった、すこしからいりょうりです。
　　It is a slightly spicy dish made with fish and vegetables.

📌 Grammar Point: 「どんな料理ですか」 asks what kind of dish the food in front of you is, so the staff can answer by describing its ingredients, flavor, cooking method, or other characteristics. 「どんな」 is placed directly before 「料理」 to form the pattern 「どんな＋noun」. This question is particularly useful when a menu only shows the name of the dish and you cannot tell what it actually contains. By contrast, if the dish has already arrived and you have tasted it, and you want to ask someone you are with what they think of the flavor, you can instead ask 「この料理はどうですか」. At that point, the question has shifted from describing the dish itself to asking for an impression or evaluation of it.

▌Situation ②｜Asking How the Hotel Is After Check-In

A：泊まっているホテルはどうですか？
　　とまっているホテルはどうですか？
　　How is the hotel you’re staying at?

B：駅から近くて、部屋も静かです。
　　えきからちかくて、へやもしずかです。
　　It’s close to the station, and the room is quiet too.

📌 Grammar Point: In 「ホテルはどうですか」, 「ホテル」 is first established as the topic, and 「どう」 then asks how it currently is. This naturally leads to answers about the accommodation environment, transportation convenience, room conditions, or overall impressions. If you change it to 「どんなホテルですか」, the question becomes “What kind of hotel is it?”, and answers are more likely to describe the hotel itself, such as 「駅の近くにある小さいホテルです」 or 「温泉があるホテルです」. Both sentences can be used when talking about accommodation, but 「どんなホテル」 asks about the type or characteristics of the hotel, while 「ホテルはどう」 is more like asking what it is like to stay there after both speakers already know which hotel is being discussed.

▌Situation ③｜Asking for Directions When You Do Not Know How to Get to the Station

A：ここから駅までどう行きますか？
　　ここからえきまでどういきますか？
　　How do I get to the station from here?

B：この道をまっすぐ行って、二つ目の交差点を右に曲がります。
　　このみちをまっすぐいって、ふたつめのこうさてんをみぎにまがります。
　　Go straight along this road and turn right at the second intersection.

📌 Grammar Point: Here, 「どう」 comes before 「行きます」 and asks “by what method should I go?” or “how should I get there?” This use of 「どう＋verb」 is not limited to asking for directions. 「これはどう使いますか」 asks how to use something, and 「この漢字はどう読みますか」 asks how to read a kanji. When asking for directions, you will also often hear 「どうやって行きますか」. 「どうやって」 makes the sense of “by what method” or “how” more explicit, but 「どう行きますか」 alone can still ask about a route or method of travel.

Usage Notes:

1. When you see an unfamiliar dish at a restaurant, 「どんな料理ですか」 and 「この料理はどうですか」 are not asking the same thing. 「どんな料理ですか」 asks what kind of dish it is when you do not yet know much about it, so the answer can describe its ingredients, flavor, or characteristics. 「この料理はどうですか」 is closer to asking “How is this dish?”, which may ask about its taste or evaluation and, depending on the context, may also carry a recommendation-like meaning of “How about this one?” To distinguish them, consider whether the person needs information about the dish itself or an opinion about it.
2. 「どんなホテルですか」 and 「ホテルはどうですか」 are also common while traveling. 「どんなホテルですか」 is appropriate before check-in when you want to learn about the accommodation itself, such as whether it is a business hotel, whether it has a hot spring, or how far it is from the station. 「ホテルはどうですか」 can be used after check-in to ask how the stay is going. If the trip has already ended, you can change the tense to 「ホテルはどうでしたか」 and ask how the person felt about that stay. Here, the main difference between 「どうですか」 and 「どうでしたか」 comes from whether the discussion concerns the current situation or an experience that has already ended.
3. When asking for directions, 「どう」 is not asking what characteristics the destination has. It is asking about the method of getting there. Therefore, 「駅までどう行きますか」 can be answered with walking, taking a train, taking a bus, or a direct explanation of the route. If you want to ask more explicitly about the means of transportation, you can say 「駅までどうやって行きますか」. You can remember this type of sentence separately from 「どんな＋noun」: 「どんな」 is normally followed by the noun you want to ask about, while 「どう」 before verbs such as 「行く」「使う」「読む」 asks how the action is performed.

How Do Japanese 「どんな／どう」 and Korean 「어떤／어때요／어떻게」 Correspond?

When translating Japanese 「どんな」 and 「どう」 into Korean, they cannot all be handled with the same interrogative expression. Japanese 「どんな＋noun」 asks “what kind of N,” and the closest Korean equivalent is 「어떤＋noun」. 「Nはどうですか」 asks how a person, thing, or situation is, and Korean commonly uses 「N은/는 어때요」. 「どう＋verb」 asks how to do something, how to go somewhere, or how to use something, and Korean commonly uses 「어떻게＋verb」. Therefore, 「どんな映画ですか」 can correspond to 「어떤 영화예요」, 「旅行はどうでしたか」 to 「여행은 어땠어요」, and 「これはどう使いますか」 to 「이거 어떻게 써요」. All of these may involve 「怎樣」 or 「怎麼」 in Chinese, but Japanese and Korean actually use different forms depending on whether a noun follows, whether the question is about a state, or whether it asks about the method of an action.

◆ Japanese 「どんな＋noun」 vs Korean 「어떤＋noun」

Japanese 「どんな」 most commonly appears before a noun and asks what characteristics, content, or qualities a person or thing has. Korean 「어떤」 also comes directly before a noun and can ask “what kind of N.” Therefore, 「どんな人」 can correspond to 「어떤 사람」, 「どんな料理」 to 「어떤 음식」, and 「どんな音楽」 to 「어떤 음악」. The two are very similar when asking about types, characteristics, or preferences. However, Korean 「어떤」 has a broader range of use than Japanese 「どんな」. In certain contexts it can mean “which one” or “which kind,” and it can even refer to an unspecified “certain” person or thing. In these uses, Japanese does not necessarily use 「どんな」 and may instead use 「どの」 or another expression depending on the context.

• Example: どんな音楽が好きですか。
  Kana: どんなおんがくがすきですか。
  Translation: What kind of music do you like?
  In Korean, you can say 「어떤 음악을 좋아해요?」
• Example: 田中さんはどんな人ですか。
  Kana: たなかさんはどんなひとですか。
  Translation: What kind of person is Tanaka?
  In Korean, you can say 「다나카 씨는 어떤 사람이에요?」
• Example: これはどんな料理ですか。
  Kana: これはどんなりょうりですか。
  Translation: What kind of dish is this?
  In Korean, you can say 「이건 어떤 음식이에요?」

◆ Japanese 「Nはどうですか」 vs Korean 「N은/는 어때요」

When Japanese 「どう」 asks about the state, impression, or evaluation of something, Korean normally uses 「어때요」 rather than 「어떻게」. 「어때요」 is a conjugated form of 「어떻다」 and can directly ask “How is it?” or “What is it like?” Therefore, 「日本の食べ物はどうですか」 can correspond to 「일본 음식은 어때요」, and 「ホテルはどうですか」 to 「호텔은 어때요」. When talking about something that has already ended, Japanese commonly changes 「どうですか」 to the past form 「どうでしたか」, and Korean likewise changes 「어때요」 to the past form 「어땠어요」.

• Example: 日本の食べ物はどうですか。
  Kana: にほんのたべものはどうですか。
  Translation: How is Japanese food?
  In Korean, you can say 「일본 음식은 어때요?」
• Example: 旅行はどうでしたか。
  Kana: りょこうはどうでしたか。
  Translation: How was the trip?
  In Korean, you can say 「여행은 어땠어요?」
• Example: 泊まっているホテルはどうですか。
  Kana: とまっているホテルはどうですか。
  Translation: How is the hotel you’re staying at?
  In Korean, you can say 「묵고 있는 호텔은 어때요?」

◆ Japanese 「どう＋verb」 vs Korean 「어떻게＋verb」

When Japanese 「どう」 appears before a verb, it can ask how an action is performed, as in 「どう使いますか」「どう行きますか」「どう読みますか」. Korean commonly uses 「어떻게＋verb」 for these kinds of “how do you do it?” questions. 「어떻게」 appears before a verb and asks about the method, manner, or way in which something is carried out, so it closely corresponds to this type of Japanese 「どう＋verb」. This pairing is common when asking for directions, asking how to operate something, asking about a cooking method, or asking how to deal with something.

• Example: これはどう使いますか。
  Kana: これはどうつかいますか。
  Translation: How do you use this?
  In Korean, you can say 「이거 어떻게 써요?」
• Example: 駅までどう行きますか。
  Kana: えきまでどういきますか。
  Translation: How do you get to the station?
  In Korean, you can say 「역까지 어떻게 가요?」
• Example: この漢字はどう読みますか。
  Kana: このかんじはどうよみますか。
  Translation: How do you read this kanji?
  In Korean, you can say 「이 한자는 어떻게 읽어요?」

◆ Japanese 「どう」 Cannot Always Be Translated as Korean 「어떻게」

「どう」 and 「어떻게」 are especially easy to confuse because both are often translated into Chinese as 「怎麼」. When comparing them, you first need to determine whether Japanese 「どう」 is asking about a state or about the method of an action. 「映画はどうでしたか」 asks what someone thought of a movie after watching it, so Korean should be 「영화는 어땠어요」, not simply 「영화는 어떻게」. 「これはどう使いますか」, on the other hand, asks how to use something, so Korean says 「이거 어떻게 써요」. In other words, one Japanese expression, 「どう」, can cover both states and methods, while Korean commonly divides these uses between 「어때요」 and 「어떻게」.

• Example: この映画はどうでしたか。
  Kana: このえいがはどうでしたか。
  Translation: How was this movie?
  In Korean, you can say 「이 영화는 어땠어요?」
• Example: この映画はどう見ますか。
  Kana: このえいがはどうみますか。
  Translation: How do you watch this movie?
  / By what method do you watch it?
  In Korean, you can say 「이 영화는 어떻게 봐요?」

◆ Korean 「어떤」 Also Cannot Always Be Translated Directly as Japanese 「どんな」

When 「어떤＋noun」 asks about qualities or types, it is very close to Japanese 「どんな＋noun」. However, Korean 「어떤」 can also ask which object among several options is being referred to, and it can refer to an unspecified person or thing. These uses go beyond what Japanese 「どんな」 normally covers, so 「어떤」 cannot always be translated as 「どんな」.

• Example: 어떤 영화를 좋아해요?
  Romanization: eo-tteon yeong-hwa-reul jo-a-hae-yo?
  Translation: What kind of movies do you like?
  In Japanese, you can say 「どんな映画が好きですか」.
• Example: 이 두 개 중에 어떤 가방이 더 좋아요?
  Romanization: i du gae jung-e eo-tteon ga-bang-i deo jo-a-yo?
  Translation: Which of these two bags do you like better?
  In Japanese, you can say 「この二つのうち、どのバッグがいいですか」.
• Example: 어떤 사람이 찾아왔어요.
  Romanization: eo-tteon sa-ra-mi cha-ja-wa-sseo-yo.
  Translation: Someone came by looking for you.
  In Japanese, depending on the context, you can say 「ある人が訪ねてきました」.

◆ Differences Between Japanese 「どんな／どう」 and Korean 「어떤／어때요／어떻게」:

Japanese and Korean have fairly clear correspondences among these interrogative expressions, but it is not appropriate to memorize them as fixed one-to-one translations. When 「どんな＋noun」 asks about a type or characteristic, it can usually correspond to 「어떤＋noun」. When 「Nはどうですか」 asks about a state, impression, or evaluation, it often corresponds to 「N은/는 어때요」. When 「どう＋verb」 asks about a method, it often corresponds to 「어떻게＋verb」.

The expression that is particularly easy to confuse is Japanese 「どう」. Japanese 「どう」 can appear both in questions about impressions, such as 「旅行はどうでしたか」, and in questions about methods, such as 「どう行きますか」. Korean usually expresses the former as 「어땠어요」 and the latter as 「어떻게 가요」. As for 「어떤」, although it closely resembles 「どんな」 in the “what kind of N” use, it can also be used to choose “which one” or to refer to an unspecified “certain” person or thing. In those cases, it does not necessarily correspond to Japanese 「どんな」. When you encounter an actual sentence, first check whether the interrogative is followed directly by a noun, then determine whether the question is asking about a characteristic, an evaluation, or a method. This is easier than fixing each of the three expressions to one Chinese translation.

The main reason 「どんな」 and 「どう」 are so easy to confuse is that their Chinese translations look too similar. In actual use, if you break the question back down into its sentence structure, you can see that the two expressions are responsible for different kinds of information.

「どんな＋noun」 is commonly used to ask “What kind of N is this?”, as in 「どんな映画」「どんな人」「どんな料理」. 「Nはどうですか」 asks how a person or thing that is already the topic is doing or what it is like, as in 「旅行はどうでしたか」. 「どう＋verb」 asks about the method of an action, as in 「どう使いますか」「どう行きますか」.

In addition, 「どんな」 and 「何の」 naturally overlap to some extent, and 「どう」 does not always correspond directly to the same Korean interrogative expression. When you encounter a new sentence, first check whether what follows is a noun or a verb, then determine whether the question is asking for a characteristic, an impression, a state, or a method. That will usually make it easier to decide which expression to use.

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