Choushi wa dou: “what’s up?” in Japanese, explained

What does “choushi wa dou” mean in Japanese?

Japanese native speakers sometimes say “choushi wa dou” to ask “what’s up?” In this blog post, I will explain this expression in detail based on its components. And also, I will explain its polite expression meaning “how are you?” in Japanese. I believe these explanations will help Japanese learner to use these expressions properly. Let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “choushi wa dou”
• Components of “choushi wa dou”
• Example #1: how to say “what’s up?” in Japanese
• Polite expression
• Example #2: how to say “how are you?” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “choushi wa dou”

Let me start with the definition and meaning as follows.

• choushi wa dou – 調子はどう (ちょうしはどう) : a Japanese expression meaning ‘what’s up?’ Normally, Japanese people raise the pitch of the “dou” part so that the listener can understand this as a question.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this expression more clearly, however, let me explain its components in detail, one by one.

Components of “choushi wa dou”

Below are the components used in the expression.

• choushi – 調子 (ちょうし) : a noun meaning ‘condition’, ‘feeling’, ‘tone’, or ‘health’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the expression, it works as a topic marker to put a focus on “choushi”.
• dou – どう : an adverb meaning ‘how’, ‘how about’, or such in Japanese. Japanese people often use this adverb to make “how” questions in Japanese.

From these three components, we can understand that the expression literally means ‘how is the condition?’, ‘how is the feeling?’, ‘how is the tone?’, or ‘how is the health?’. Certainly, Japanese people sometimes use the expression to mean either one of these. But, in most cases, we can interpret its meaning just as “what’s up?” It rarely contains a serious nuance.

This expression doesn’t contain any word referring to a particular person. Yet, we can understand it is directed to the listener. Japanese people quite often omit a word referring to a person when they can understand who is referred to from the context and situation. In a way, they refer to a person by omitting.

Then, let me explain how to use “choushi wa dou” through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “what’s up?” in Japanese

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• hisashiburi – 久しぶり (ひさしぶり) : a Japanese casual expression for ‘long time no see’.

This is a typical usage of “choushi wa dou”. We can use it like this when we meet someone.

Polite expression

So far, I’ve explained “choushi wa dou” based on its components and how to use it through the example sentence. As its translation suggests, this expression is basically considered casual. So, when we want to ask “what’s up?” in a polite way in Japanese, namely, to ask “how are you?” in Japanese, we should use a more polite expression. Below is it.

• choushi wa dou desu ka – 調子はどうですか (ちょうしはどうですか) : a Japanese expression for ‘how are you?’

“Desu” and “ka” have been added. Let me explain these additional components as follows.

• desu – です : an auxiliary verb put after a verb, adjective, auxiliary verb, or adverb to make it polite. Probably, it is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the expression, it is put after the adverb, “dou”, to make it sound polite.
• ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. As its grammatical definition suggests, it is put at the end of the expression to make the question. Using this particle at the end of a sentence is considered more polite than just raising the pitch.

Thanks to these two words, “choushi wa dou desu ka” sounds more polite. Then, let me explain how to use this expression through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “how are you?” in Japanese

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• ohisashiburi desu – お久しぶりです (おひさしぶりです) : the polite expression of “hisashiburi”, meaning ‘long time no see’ in Japanese.

As this example shows, the polite expression can be used in more or less the same way as the shorter one is.

Honestly speaking, there are various ways to ask “how are you?” in Japanese. Depending on the situation, there would be a more suitable expression than this one. Yet, this is a good option in many cases, I think.

This expression is polite enough. It is suitable for formal situations. In more formal situations, however, we should perhaps consider the use of the more polite expression, “choushi wa ikaga desu ka”. “Ikaga” is the polite expression of “dou”. So, Japanese native speakers tend to use it in very formal situations. The use of this word can elevate the degree of politeness.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained “choushi wa dou” in detail based on its components and how to use it through the example sentence. And also, I’ve explained its polite expression. Let me summarize them as follows.

• choushi wa dou – 調子はどう (ちょうしはどう) : a Japanese expression meaning ‘what’s up?’ Normally, Japanese people raise the pitch of the “dou” part so that the listener can understand this as a question. These three components literally mean ‘how is the condition?’, ‘how is the feeling?’, ‘how is the tone’, or ‘how is the health?’ Yet, in most cases, we can interpret its meaning just as “what’s up?”
• choushi wa dou desu ka – 調子はどうですか (ちょうしはどうですか) : a Japanese expression for ‘how are you?’

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.