How to say "And you?" in Japanese
To say "And you?" in Japanese, use the person's name with さん and は: 田中さんは? (Tanaka-san wa?). Japanese speakers rarely say あなた (anata) to someone they know.
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Ways to say "And you?" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 〇〇さんは?〇〇さんは · ___-san wa? | And you? Use the person's name. Most natural. |
| あなたは?あなたは · anata wa? | And you? Grammatical, but can sound distant. |
How to use it
Japanese often leaves out the rest of the question. After answering 元気です (I'm fine), you can simply ask 山田さんは?, "And you, Ms. Yamada?"
あなた is correct grammar, but using a name sounds warmer and more polite. In a group, 皆さんは? (minasan wa?) means "And all of you?"
Example sentences
- 元気です。田中さんは?Genki desu. Tanaka-san wa?I'm fine. And you, Mr. Tanaka?
- 私はコーヒーにします。山田さんは?Watashi wa kōhī ni shimasu. Yamada-san wa?I'll have coffee. And you, Ms. Yamada?
- 週末は家にいました。佐藤さんは?Shūmatsu wa ie ni imashita. Satō-san wa?I stayed home on the weekend. How about you, Mr. Sato?
- 私はアメリカ出身です。あなたは?Watashi wa Amerika shusshin desu. Anata wa?I'm from the United States. And you?
- 皆さんはどう思いますか。Minasan wa dō omoimasu ka.What do all of you think?
- 私は賛成です。鈴木さんは?Watashi wa sansei desu. Suzuki-san wa?I'm in favor. And you, Mr. Suzuki?
Questions
Is it rude to say あなた in Japanese?
Not rude, but it can sound distant or even too direct, especially to someone senior. Japanese speakers usually use the person's name with さん instead.
How do you ask "How about you?" in Japanese?
Say the person's name with さんは, such as 田中さんは? With friends, you can also say そっちは? (socchi wa?).
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