English–Japanese

“what happened” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajinanigoto

Example

いったい何事ですか？i tta i nani goto de su ka

What on earth happened?

Illustration for 何事 (what happened)

How to say “what happened” in Japanese

“What happened” in Japanese is 何事 (nanigoto).

Points to an event or situation that has happened and invites an explanation, especially when the speaker is surprised.

Full entry for 何事: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 何事

彼の顔が青いので、私は何事かと思いました。kare no kao ga ao i no de watashi wa nani goto ka to omo i ma shi ta

His face was pale, so I wondered what had happened.

Tips for using 何事

  • The phrase 何事ですか (nanigoto desu ka) is useful for asking what happened, but its tone can suggest that something unusual has occurred.

“what happened” in other languages