Translation guide
This guide helps you ask 'what sort/kind of' in Japanese. The most common pattern is どんな (donna), but other options exist for formality and nuance.
The speaker wants to know the category, characteristics, or nature of something.
The most common and versatile way to ask 'what sort of N'. Casual and widely used in conversation.
What sort of music do you like?
What sort of book are you reading?
More formal than どんな. Often used in writing or polite speech.
What sort of business do you have?
Similar to どんな, but can imply asking for a definition or explanation. Slightly more emphatic.
What sort of meaning is that? / What do you mean?
Very formal and literary. Used in official documents or formal speeches.
No matter what sort of reason you have, tardiness is not permitted.
The speaker wants a subjective description or evaluation, often about experiences or people.
Again, the go-to pattern. Works for asking about impressions.
What sort of person is he/she?
What sort of feeling was the trip? / How was the trip?
Formal version for descriptions.
What sort of work do you do?
どんな is the default casual choice. どのような is formal and often used in business or writing. どういう can ask for a definition or clarification, similar to 'what kind of (exactly)'.
What sort of movies do you like? (casual)
What sort of movies do you like? (polite)
What sort of movies do you like? (asking for specifics)
While 種類 (shurui) means 'sort/kind', the phrase 何の種類 (nan no shurui) is not natural for general 'what sort' questions. It sounds like you are asking for a biological or categorical classification. Use どんな instead.
What sort of food do you like?
What sort of person is your boss?