Handling The ‘What’s Your Type?’ Question in Japan

Your kanji cheat sheet to looking like you know what you're talking about.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked タイプは？(Taipu wa?; “What’s your type?”) by men and women in Japan looking to set me up on dates—or by someone who’s testing the grounds to see if I’m interested. The question is odd, especially when out of context, and can easily make you feel awkward—but even more so, it leaves you with tons of questions: “Should I talk about looks or personality? And why is he/she asking? Am I reading in too much? And what the heck is the correct Japanese word to say all I want?” The worst is that as you rarely have a ready answer for that, most of the time, you feel like whatever you say will make you sound dull. No worries, we’ve all been there.

I was not prepared for that question when I first got asked, so I just said, “Well, someone nice,” only to become the target of seriously unimpressed looks. I quickly realized that I had set the bar too low, and I came across as being uninterested in finding a partner. If I had gone too much into details, though, I was risking to set the bar too high, i.e., becoming too picky. It’s a constant balancing act that requires a lot of careful thought but can be incredibly effective if used right. Here’s how to approach it if you want to sound interesting and have the ball in your hands the next time someone throws the question at you!

1. Be As Cheeky As You Wish

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One phrase that has worked for me so far, especially when I’m interested in the person who’s asking is:

好きになった人がタイプ (suki ni natta hito ga taipu; “My type are people I get crushes on”).

This one is effective because it implies you don’t have an official list of criteria for a partner, so much as fall for individuals. Which is ideally how you’re supposed to fall for someone, right?

2. Go For The Direct Approach

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If you are into the person asking you this question and are fairly certain he feels the same about you, reply with:

(his/her name)~みたいな人が好き (~mitai na hito ga suki; “I like people like you”)

This should be a big enough sign that you’re interested. If you’re feeling brave, you can always follow this up by adding an impromptu love confession in Japanese.

3. Give A General, But Clear Description

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The next best option is to present two to three adjectives about the personality, appearance or style (or a combination of them) that appeals to you. For example:

“Adjective #1, adjective #2 ~な人が好き (~na hito ga suki; “I like people who are~“)

The following are some of the most commonly used adjectives, and you just have to add hito (person) after each one.

Personality

Appearance/Body Type

Style

Here are some additional combinations that tend to work very well:

4. Name A Famous Person As An Example

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Movie stars, pop idols, models, Instagram influencers… plenty of peeps up there to choose from! They all have their own charm and appeal, so if you find yourself in a pinch, you can always name a few of them to help explain your type in the simplest terms.

If you have a few that you prefer, you can say:

芸能人で言うと [Celebrity Name #1], ka [Celebrity Name #2] みたいな人 (geinojin de iu to 〜 ka 〜 mitai na hito; “I like people that are like [celebrity so and so].”

To get the conversation going, however, make sure it’s someone everyone knows—or pull out your phone and have a photo ready to show.

Bonus: A Few Mistakes To Avoid

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It might be tempting to say what your type isn’t in situations like this, but it’s better to avoid being negative.

Another thing to avoid in this situation is being overly specific with your adjectives—naming a height and weight cut-off, or specifying what brand of clothing the man must be interested in will not work out in your favor if you’re really hoping to nail a date. You are welcome to have certain preferences, don’t get me wrong, but being too caught up in them can backfire on you.

So now that you’ve got the correct terms to express yourself, hopefully, you’ll be able to answer “What’s your type?” in Japan as naturally as possible—and maybe even tell that certain someone that you like their type directly. Good luck!