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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 ^^

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    This ご主人 means "husband". Commented Jun 30, 2017 at 16:37

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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.

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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
    Commented Jul 2, 2017 at 2:20
  • ご主人のことはここでもう答えたから
    – A.Ellett
    Commented Jul 2, 2017 at 2:28
  • あら、ほんとですね。同じ構文ですね。
    – chocolate
    Commented Jul 2, 2017 at 2:30
  • @Chocolate Regarding「どうかしたん」vs「どうしたん」, I updated my answer. Any better?
    – A.Ellett
    Commented Jul 2, 2017 at 2:42
  • ^ はい、よいと思います。^^
    – chocolate
    Commented Jul 2, 2017 at 5:40

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