Question
I will be traveling to Japan for a business meeting and would like to gift my Japanese colleague something special. However, I’m not sure how to ask them about their preferences without directly giving away the surprise. How do I subtly ask them “What kind of things do you like?” in Japanese?
Japango Editor Team
どんなものが好きですか。
Donna mono ga suki desuka?
What kind of things do you like?
This phrase can be used to inquire about someone’s preferences in a general way, without indicating that you are planning to buy them a gift. Donna means “what kind of”; mono means “things”; and suki desuka means “do you like.” If you want to be more specific, you could replace “mono” with items like “tabemono” (food) or “supootsu” (sports), depending on what you think might interest them.
Using this question lets the other person share their interests without feeling like you’re directly asking for gift advice, keeping an element of surprise intact.
