Japanese phrase
本当の原因は___ですか？ hon tō no gen in wa ___ de su ka
Meaning
Is ___ the real cause?
When to use it
Checks whether a possible factor is the real cause. The phrase sounds neutral when discussing the reason for an everyday problem.
Example dialogue
遅刻の本当の原因は寝不足ですか？ chi koku no hon tō no gen in wa ne bu soku de su ka
Was lack of sleep the real cause of being late?
はい、寝不足です。 ha i ne fu soku de su
Yes, it was lack of sleep.