Japanese phrase
___は何をしますか？ ___ wa nan o shi ma su ka
Meaning
What does ___ do?
When to use it
Asks about someone's role or a thing's function. The question is polite and useful when the purpose is not yet clear.
Example dialogue
受付の人は何をしますか？ uke tsuke no hito wa nan o shi ma su ka
What does the receptionist do?
予約を受け付けます。 yo yaku o u ke tsu ke ma su
The receptionist takes reservations.