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For full context see this document, exercise two (bottom of the page): https://www.docdroid.net/a1B7uAr/img.pdf.html

I don't know what the following expressions mean exactly:

女の人はご主人にどうしてほしいですか。

どうかしたんですか。

This に in sentence 1 irritates me. Shall it mean "the woman, what/how does she wish from the clerk to do?"

In sentence 2 I just dont recognize the phrase and Im somehow able to get through it bit by bit ^^

Chocolate
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Narktor
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1 Answers1

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As pointed out in the comments, I misread どうかしたんですか as どうしたんですか. Much of what I said about the later still applies, but it's not really inscrutable. Essentially, means "What, did something happen?"

Meanwhile, どうしたんですか is one of those expressions that seem inscrutable. For me it reminds me of how in English we sometimes say things like, "What's up?" I used to hate being asked that question because it felt like I'd have to say something like "The sky is up"; it just felt odd to reply "I'm doing well" because it didn't really seem to be answering the literal meaning of the sentence.

Here どうしたんですか is just expressing concern and essentially means "What's the matter?" or "What's going on/happening?"

I've already answered regarding ご主人に in response to another question of yours.

A.Ellett
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  • `女の人はご主人にどうしてほしい。This に in sentence 1 irritates me. Shall it mean "the woman, what/how does she wish from the clerk to do?"` ← ここの部分には答えなくてよかったんですかね・・？　ところで「どう**か**したんですか」と「どうしたんですか」って使い方がちょっと違いますよね – Chocolate Jul 02 '17 at 02:20
  • ご主人のことは[ここで](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/48918/4875)もう答えたから – A.Ellett Jul 02 '17 at 02:28
  • あら、ほんとですね。同じ構文ですね。 – Chocolate Jul 02 '17 at 02:30
  • @Chocolate Regarding「どうかしたん」vs「どうしたん」, I updated my answer. Any better? – A.Ellett Jul 02 '17 at 02:42
  • ^ はい、よいと思います。＾＾ – Chocolate Jul 02 '17 at 05:40