どんな vs どのような: Asking “What Kind Of” in Japanese

Both どんな and どのような ask “what kind of?” but carry different levels of formality. Knowing when to use each one will make your Japanese sound natural.

At a Glance

どんな — Casual Inquiry

どんな is used in everyday conversation. It’s friendly and natural with friends, family, or in casual settings.

どんな映画が好きですか？ — What kind of movies do you like?

どんな人と付き合いたい？ — What kind of person do you want to date?

どのような — Formal and Polite

どのような is the formal version. Use it at work, in business emails, when speaking to customers or superiors.

どのようなお仕事をされていますか？ — What kind of work do you do? (polite)

どのようなご意見をお持ちですか？ — What kind of opinion do you have? (very formal)

Yuka

Is どのような always better because it’s more polite?

Rei

Not always! Using どのような with close friends sounds stiff and unnatural — like talking to them as if they were clients. Always match the formality level to the situation.

Yuka

Are there any other similar expressions?

Rei

Yes! どういう is another casual option — very similar to どんな but slightly more conversational. どういう意味？ = What do you mean? You’ll hear it often in daily speech.

Side-by-Side

Common Mistakes

Quick Quiz

Choose どんな or どのような:

1. (To a friend) What kind of food do you like? → どんな食べ物が好き？

2. (Business email) What kind of inquiry is this? → どのようなお問い合わせでしょうか？

3. (Somewhat polite) What kind of trip are you planning? → どんな旅行を計画していますか？

Practice in the Comments!

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