どうしたら・
How you ask someone what to do: staff at a counter, a teacher, a friend. With other question words it asks where to go, who to ask or when to come.
My computer suddenly stopped working. What should I do?
What should I write on the application form?
to a friend
The screen's frozen. What should I do?
With たら
Question word + Verb in the た-form + ら + いいですか
どうしたらいいですか, どこへ行ったらいいですか.
With ば
Question word + Verb in the ば-form + いいですか
どうすればいいですか, どこへ行けばいいですか. The two mean the same here.
To a friend
…たらいい？ …ばいい？
ですか drops: どうしたらいい？, どうすればいい？.
What should I do?
Something has gone wrong, and you want to be told what to do. English asks "what"; Japanese asks どう, "how".
I've lost my key. What should I do?
どうしますか looks close, but it asks about the other person.
What will you do?
You are asking what the other person will do, or wants to do.
何をしたらいいですか is also said. It asks for the thing to do: a job, the next step.
What should I do next?
Where, when, which, how
The question word sits where the answer will go, with the same particle.
Excuse me, I'd like to go to Tokyo Station. Where should I change trains?
Please change at the next station.
When should I take this medicine?
Which train should I take to the airport?
How should I get from the airport to the hotel?
Inside a longer sentence: どうしたらいいか
Inside another sentence, です goes and か stays. どうしたらいいか分かりません, "I don't know what to do", is worth learning whole.
I don't know what to do.
Please tell me who I should ask.
Checking what to do: ばいいですか
With no question word, it checks that you have understood: "so I just…?". Asking permission is a different question, てもいいですか.
Do I write my name here?
You have to write it somewhere. Is this the place?
May I write my name here?
You would like to. Is it allowed?
Close neighbours
たらどうですかN4
Gives advice. どうしたらいいですか asks for it.
If you have too much work, why don't you talk to your supervisor?
ばいい・たらいいN3
As a statement it is the answer: "you can just…".
If you don't know, you can just ask at reception.
どうしようN4
What you say to yourself when you are stuck. Nobody is being asked.
My wallet's gone. What am I going to do?
たらN4
The たら form and its main job: "if", "when".
If it rains tomorrow, the game will probably be canceled.
Check yourself
1You have lost your ticket. Which one do you say to the station staff?
Choose an answer to see why.
2What does this mean?
ここで
Choose an answer to see why.
3"I don't know which bus to take."
どの
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
Softer: いいでしょうか
To a teacher or a customer, いいでしょうか is softer than いいですか.
Excuse me, what should I do with this?
More sentences
How should I open this file?
If I can't attend, who should I contact?
Which should I choose, the beginner or intermediate level?
When I arrive at the venue, which reception desk should I go to?
If I want to change my reservation, when do I need to contact you by?
If I change my address, who should I tell?