Asking for Advice

1. Vocabulary List

2. Grammar & Sentences

Question word + verb た form + らいいですか — "What / Where / When should I…?"

The key structure for asking for advice about what to do, where to go, who to ask, etc.

• Structure: [Question word] + [Verb た-form] + らいいですか
• Key Phrase: どこに行ったらいいですか。(Doko ni ittara ii desu ka.) — "Where should I go?"

Rule: Use the た-form (past tense form) of the verb before らいいですか. This is a fixed pattern — do not use the dictionary form.

Particle note: When asking about where an activity takes place, use で (e.g. どこで仕事をさがしたらいいですか). When asking about destination, use に (e.g. どこに行ったらいいですか).

Grammar note: We use を after 何 when the verb requires an object (使う, 着る, 持っていく). 何 + を = "what" as the direct object.

Verb た form + ほうがいい — "You'd better… / It would be better to…"

Used to give advice — the opposite role to the question structure above.

• Structure: [Verb た-form] + ほうがいい(ですよ)
• Key Phrase: はんことパスポートを持っていったほうがいいですよ。(Hanko to pasupōto o motte itta hō ga ii desu yo.) — "You'd better take your Japanese personal seal and your passport."

Conditional たら for "if/when" — leading to possibility

When combined with a result clause, たら can mean "if you do X, then Y is possible".

• Key Phrase: はんこ屋に行ったら作れます。(Hanko-ya ni ittara tsukuremasu.) — "If you go to a hanko shop, you can get one made."

Full dialogue — Ben and Sakura at the bank

Cultural note: Personal seals (はんこ) are typically made using family names (スミス, 田中, etc.), not given names. When ordering one in Japan as a foreigner, you can ask for your family name written in カタカナ.

3. Learning Context

• Topic: Asking for advice using question words; giving advice using ほうがいい
• Key Structure: question word + verb た-form + らいいですか — "What/Where/When should I…?"
• Advice giving: verb た-form + ほうがいいですよ — "You'd better…"
• Particle distinction: どこに (destination) vs どこで (activity location)
• Common mistake: Using the dictionary form before らいいですか ✗ — always use the た-form ✓

4. Progress Tracker