what for Japanese speakers — pronunciation and common errors

Pronunciation

Japanese phonology lacks the /w/ sound before vowels other than /a/; speakers often substitute the labio-velar approximant with the close back compressed vowel /ɯ/, leading to /hɯᵝotːo/ for 'what'.

Grammar

Japanese wh-words do not move to the front of the sentence (wh-in-situ), so learners frequently place 'what' in the object position—'You like what?'—mirroring the SOV order of 'Nani ga suki desu ka' (何が好きですか).

Collocations

The Japanese phrase 'Dō omoimasu ka' (どう思いますか) uses 'dō' (how) to ask for an opinion, frequently resulting in the error 'How do you think about...?' instead of 'What do you think about...?'.

Examples

• What is your favorite color?
• The manager asked what the team needed to finish the project by Friday afternoon.