Offering Friendly Advice in Japanese: Mastering V-た + らどうですか

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to suggest a course of action to someone in Japanese, like “Why don’t you take some medicine?” or “How about studying more?” The V-た + らどうですか (ra dou desu ka) grammar pattern is perfect for making gentle suggestions or offering advice.

Grammar Structure

The basic pattern is:

Verb (Plain Past た Form) + らどうですか

• V-た form: The past short form (=plain form) of the verb (e.g., 食たべた, 行いった, した).
• らどうですか: This phrase literally means “if you do ~, how is it?” and softens the suggestion into a question.

How to Form It

1. Start with the verb in its た-form (past short [plain] form). If you need a refresher on forming the た-form, you can review it in this article.
   • 飲む (nomu – to drink) → 飲んだ (nonda)
   • 行く (iku – to go) → 行った (itta)
   • する (suru – to do) → した (shita)
2. Add らどうですか after the た-form.
   • 飲んだ → 飲んだらどうですか (nonda ra dou desu ka)
   • 行った → 行ったらどうですか (itta ra dou desu ka)
   • した → したらどうですか (shita ra dou desu ka)

Meaning: Making Suggestions or Giving Advice

This pattern is used to suggest an action or give advice to someone, translating to “Why don’t you ~?” or “How about ~?”. It’s a softer, more indirect way of offering a recommendation compared to more direct forms.

Masami

気分きぶんが悪わるいんです。
I feel unwell.

Yumi

薬くすりを飲のんだらどうですか。
Why don’t you take some medicine?

Yoshihiro

最近さいきん、孫まごと会あえなくてさみしいです。
I’ve been feeling lonely lately because I haven’t been able to see my grandchild.

Ken

テレビ電話でんわをしたらどうですか。
Why don’t you try a video call?

Key Nuance: V-た + らどうですか vs V-たほうがいいです

You may have previously learned the pattern V-たほうがいいです (hou ga ii desu), which also means “you should do ~.” While both give advice, they differ in nuance:

• V-たほうがいいです: This form is more imperative and expresses a stronger conviction that the advisee will benefit from your advice. It’s like saying, “You really ought to do this.”
• V-た + らどうですか: This pattern is in a question format and is more of a suggestion. It leaves the final decision up to the advisee, making it less direct and more polite.

Important Cultural Note: When to Give Advice

In Japanese society, unsolicited advice can sometimes be perceived as critical or less respectful, even if well-intentioned. Therefore, it’s generally advisable to use patterns like V-た + らどうですか only when you are explicitly asked for advice, or when it’s clear the other person is looking for suggestions.

Example Sentences

• もっと勉強したらどうですか。 (Motto benkyou shitara dou desu ka.) Why don’t you study more?
• 先生に聞いたらどうですか。 (Sensei ni kiitara dou desu ka.) Why don’t you ask the teacher?
• お金がないんです。— 週末にアルバイトをしたらどうですか。(Okane ga nai n desu. — Shuumatsu ni arubaito o shitara dou desu ka.) I don’t have money. — Why don’t you do a part-time job on the weekend?

Practice Time!

Change the following verbs into V-たらどうですか suggestions:

• 文法を勉強する (bunpou o benkyou suru – to study grammar)
  → 文法を勉強したらどうですか。
• 病院に行く (byouin ni iku – to go to the hospital)
  → 病院に行ったらどうですか。
• 出かける (dekakeru – to go out)
  → 出かけたらどうですか。
• ホテルに泊まる (hoteru ni tomaru – to stay at a hotel)
  → ホテルに泊まったらどうですか。
• 履歴書を送る (rirekisho o okuru – to send a resume)
  → 履歴書を送ったらどうですか。
• 先生に相談する (sensei ni soudan suru – to consult the teacher)
  → 先生に相談したらどうですか。

Now freely give advice to the following people using V-たらどうですか:

• Situation: お金がないんです。(Okane ga nai n desu.) – I don’t have money.
  Advice: アルバイトをしたらどうですか。(Arubaito o shitara dou desu ka.) – Why don’t you do a part-time job?
• Situation: 外国語を勉強したいんです。(Gaikokugo o benkyou shitai n desu.) – I want to study a foreign language.
  Advice: 教科書を買ったらどうですか。(Kyoukasho o kattara dou desu ka.) – Why don’t you buy a textbook?
• Situation: 最近、ちょっと太ったんです。(Saikin, chotto futotta n desu.) – I’ve gained a little weight recently.
  Advice: 運動したらどうですか。(Undou shitara dou desu ka.) – Why don’t you exercise?
• Situation: 最近、疲れているんです。(Saikin, tsukarete iru n desu.) – I’m tired recently.
  Advice: 早く寝たらどうですか。(Hayaku netara dou desu ka.) – Why don’t you go to bed early?
• Situation: 彼氏が冷たいんです。(Kareshi ga tsumetai n desu.) – My boyfriend is cold.
  Advice: 別れたらどうですか。(Wakaretara dou desu ka.) – Why don’t you break up (with him)?
• Situation: まだ日本語が下手なんです。(Mada Nihongo ga heta nan desu.) – My Japanese is still poor.
  Advice: 先生に相談したらどうですか。(Sensei ni soudan shitara dou desu ka.) – Why don’t you consult the teacher? (Free answer example)

FAQ

Conclusion

Mastering V-た + らどうですか allows you to offer thoughtful suggestions and advice in Japanese. Remember its gentle nature and the cultural considerations when offering guidance.

🎯 What advice would you give to a friend using V-た + らどうですか?