YukaWant to ask “What if…?” in Japanese? もし〜だったらどうする？ is exactly the phrase you need!
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| もし〜だったらどうする？ | moshi ~ dattara dou suru? | What would you do if ~? |
| もし | moshi | if (hypothetical) |
| 〜だったら | dattara | if it were ~ / if ~ happened |
| どうする | dou suru | what would you do? |
TOC
Breaking Down the Phrase
- もし (moshi) — sets up a hypothetical: “if”
- 〜だったら (dattara) — past conditional: “if it were the case that ~”
- どうする？ (dou suru?) — “what would you do?”
Example Conversations
A: もし宝くじが当たったらどうする？
What would you do if you won the lottery?
B: 世界旅行するよ！
I’d travel the world!
—
A: もし明日仕事がなかったらどうする？
What would you do if you didn’t have work tomorrow?
B: 一日中寝てる！
I’d sleep all day!
ReiCan I shorten this in casual speech?
YukaYes! もし〜だったら？ alone (without どうする) works fine when the context is clear.
Variations
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| もし〜だったらどうする？ | What would you do if ~? |
| もし〜なら？ | What if ~? (lighter hypothetical) |
| 〜だったとしたら？ | Supposing ~ were the case? |
| もし〜だったらよかった | I wish ~ had been the case |
Quick Quiz
Ask your friend: “What would you do if you could fly?”
Answer: もし空が飛べたらどうする？
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