たらどうですか

Why Don't You

Level 2Sounds Like taradoudesuka

Use [Verb-た form] + らどうですか to suggest 'Why don't you...?' or 'How about...?' to someone. It is a standard way to offer advice in polite Japanese.

How It Works

1. Formation
To use this pattern, you must first conjugate the verb into its Past Short Form (also known as the た form).

  • 行く（いく）→ 行った（いった）→ 行ったらどうですか
  • 食べる（たべる）→ 食べた（たべた）→ 食べたらどうですか

2. Nuance and Politeness
While the ending 〜ですか makes it sound polite, the nuance can change based on context:

  • Helpful Advice: When someone is troubled, it sounds like a kind suggestion.
  • Casual Form: In casual speech, you can say 〜たらどう？ or simply 〜たら？
  • Formal Variation: For a more formal or respectful tone, you can use 〜たらいかがですか.
  • Critical Tone: If used unprompted, it can sound like you are telling someone what they should have done already. Be careful with your intonation!

3. Social Caution and Usage Limits

  • Listener Only: This pattern is strictly for giving advice to the listener. It cannot be used to invite someone to do something together (e.g., 'Why don't we...'). For joint invitations, use ましょう or ませんか instead.
  • Superiors: Avoid using this with superiors (bosses, teachers) unless they have specifically asked for your advice. Even though it is polite, suggesting an action to a superior can sometimes come across as pushy or condescending.

Examples (4)

  1. 病院に行ったらどうですか。

    Why don't you go to the hospital?

    Word by Word: Hospital to if went how is it?

    A standard polite suggestion given to someone who looks unwell.

  2. わからないところは、先生に聞いたらどう？

    How about asking the teacher about the parts you don't understand?

    Word by Word: Don't understand parts as for, teacher to if asked how?

    This uses the casual version (〜たらどう？) suitable for friends or classmates.

  3. そんなに大変なら、仕事を辞めたら？

    If it's that difficult, why don't you quit your job?

    Word by Word: That much difficult if, job (object) if quit?

    The most casual form, shortening the expression to just 〜たら？

  4. たまには運動したらどうですか。

    How about exercising once in a while?

    Word by Word: Once in a while as for exercise if did how is it?

    Depending on the tone, this could be a gentle suggestion or a slight criticism of someone's lifestyle.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the dictionary form instead of the past form.

    行くたらどうですか。
    行ったらどうですか。

    This pattern must always use the past short form (た form) before 〜ら.

  • Using it to give unsolicited advice to a superior.

    （社長に）もっと休んだらどうですか。
    （社長に）お休みになられたらいかがですか。

    Using 〜たらどうですか with a boss can sound like you are judging their choices. For superiors, use more formal honorific expressions like 〜いかがですか.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

たらどうですかLevel 2Why Don't You

Learn This First

To understand 'たらどうですか' (Why don't you), you first need to know how to form the 'tara' conditional, as this pattern literally translates to 'If you did [action], how is it?'. You also need to understand the interrogative 'dou' (how) and basic polite sentence structures using 'desu' and 'ka'.

Words in This Pattern

如何