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Japanese question words (疑問詞, gimonshi) stay where the answer would go in the sentence — they do not move to the front like in English. The main words are 何 (なに/なん), どこ (where), いつ, だれ, どれ, どう, なぜ, and どのくらい.
If you only need “where” in Japanese, the core word is どこ. Example: トイレはどこですか。 = Where is the bathroom?
| 日本語 | Reading | Meaning | Polite form | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 何 | なに / なん (nani/nan) | what | — | 何を食べますか。(What will you eat?) |
| どこ | doko | where | どちら (dochira) | どこに住んでいますか。(Where do you live?) |
| いつ | itsu | when | — | いつ日本に来ましたか。(When did you come to Japan?) |
| だれ | dare | who | どなた (donata) | あの人はだれですか。(Who is that person?) |
| どれ | dore | which one (3+) | どちら (2 items) | どれがあなたのかばんですか。(Which is your bag?) |
| どの | dono | which (+ noun) | — | どの本を読みますか。(Which book will you read?) |
| どう | dou | how (manner) | いかが (ikaga) | 日本語の勉強はどうですか。(How is your Japanese study?) |
| なぜ / どうして | naze / doushite | why | — | なぜ遅れましたか。(Why were you late?) |
| どのくらい | dono kurai | how much / how long | — | どのくらいかかりますか。(How long does it take?) |
| いくら | ikura | how much (price) | おいくら (oikura) | これはいくらですか。(How much is this?) |
| いくつ | ikutsu | how many / how old | おいくつ (oikutsu) | りんごがいくつありますか。(How many apples are there?) |
| どんな | donna | what kind of | — | どんな音楽が好きですか。(What kind of music do you like?) |
何 has two readings depending on what follows it.
| Reading | When to use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| なに (nani) | Before most particles (を、が、に、で、と、から) | 何を買いますか / 何が好きですか |
| なん (nan) | Before です、だ、counters, and で (what by means of) | 何ですか / 何時ですか / 何人ですか |
| Expression | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何時 | なんじ | what time (hour) |
| 何分 | なんぷん | what minute / how many minutes |
| 何時間 | なんじかん | how many hours |
| 何人 | なんにん | how many people |
| 何枚 | なんまい | how many flat things |
| 何本 | なんぼん | how many long objects |
| 何曜日 | なんようび | what day of the week |
| 何月 | なんがつ | what month |
| Combination | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 何を | what (direct object) | 何を食べますか。What will you eat? |
| 何が | what (subject) | 何が好きですか。What do you like? |
| どこに | where (destination/location) | どこに行きますか。Where are you going? |
| どこで | where (action takes place) | どこで食べますか。Where will you eat? |
| どこから | from where | どこから来ましたか。Where are you from? |
| だれと | with whom | だれと行きますか。Who will you go with? |
| だれに | to whom | だれに話しましたか。Who did you tell? |
| いつから | from when | いつから勉強していますか。Since when have you been studying? |
| いつまで | until when | いつまでいますか。Until when will you stay? |
| どうやって | how (by what method) | どうやって来ましたか。How did you get here? |
| Word | Meaning | Usage rule | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| どれ | which one (3+ options) | Stands alone — NOT before a noun | どれがいいですか。(Which one is good?) |
| どの | which (3+ options) | Must come before a noun | どの本ですか。(Which book?) |
| どちら | which of two / where (polite) | For 2 options OR polite どこ | どちらがいいですか。(Which [of the two] is better?) |
A：このペンとそのペン、どちらがいいですか。
A: This pen and that pen — which is better? (choosing between 2)
B：どのペンですか？ここに三本ありますよ。
B: Which pen? There are three here. (more than 2 → use どの)
| Plain | Polite | Context |
|---|---|---|
| だれ (dare) | どなた (donata) | Business, formal introductions, meeting strangers |
| どこ (doko) | どちら (dochira) | Formal: どちらからですか = Where are you from? (formal) |
| どう (dou) | いかが (ikaga) | Offering something: コーヒーはいかがですか = How about some coffee? |
| いくら (ikura) | おいくら (oikura) | In a shop: おいくらですか = How much is this? (polite) |
| いくつ (ikutsu) | おいくつ (oikutsu) | Asking someone's age politely: おいくつですか |
| Question | Answer pattern |
|---|---|
| 何を飲みますか。 | コーヒーを飲みます。 |
| どこに住んでいますか。 | 東京に住んでいます。 |
| いつ日本語を勉強しますか。 | 毎晩勉強します。 |
| だれと映画を見ましたか。 | 友達と見ました。 |
| どうやって学校に来ますか。 | 電車で来ます。 |
| これはいくらですか。 | ８００円です。 |
| なぜ遅れましたか。 | 電車が遅かったからです。 |
| どんな食べ物が好きですか。 | すしが好きです。 |
何 (なに before particles, なん before です and counters). Examples: 何を食べますか (what will you eat?), 何時ですか (what time is it?).
どこ is the everyday form. Polite form: どちら. Common patterns: どこに (location), どこへ (destination), どこで (place of action), どこから (origin).
だれ is neutral/everyday. どなた is formal and respectful — use it with strangers, customers, or anyone you need to show deference to.
なぜ (naze) and どうして (doushite) both mean "why." どうして is more conversational; なぜ is slightly more formal. Both are correct at N5.
どれ = which one (3+ options, stands alone). どの = which (must precede a noun). どちら = which of two (also polite form of where).
いくら (ikura) asks about price. どのくらい asks about degree, distance, or duration. 何時間/何分 ask for a specific count of hours/minutes.
The YoruLearn app builds question word fluency through fill-in-the-blank exercises and spaced-repetition flashcards — so you can produce the right question word instantly rather than translating mentally under exam time pressure.