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N5 Grammar Lesson 16

Question words: なに, どこ, だれ, いつ, いくら and more

Ask what, where, who, when, how much, why and how with なに／なん, どこ, だれ, いつ, いくら, どうして, どう／いかが and どれ／どの — and ask politely at work and in shops with どちら, どなた and いかがですか.

40 min lesson JLPT N5

In this lesson you will

  • Choose between なに and なん
  • Ask where, who, when and how much with どこ, だれ, いつ and いくら
  • Ask why with どうして and answer with 〜から
  • Use どう, いかが, どれ, どの and どちら correctly
  • Ask politely at work and in shops with どちら, どなた and いかが
  • Read and write 名, 国, 会 and 社

You already know a few question words — なんじ, いくら, どれ. In this lesson you put them all together. The good news: a Japanese question has the same word order as its answer. Put the question word where the answer will go and add か at the end.

Same order as the answer

トイレはあそこです → トイレはどこですか. あの人は田中たなかさんです → あの人はだれですか. Nothing moves to the front of the sentence, and you don’t need a question mark: か already makes it a question.

Question wordMeaningExample
なに / なんwhat何を食たべますか / これは何ですか
どこwhereえきはどこですか
だれwhoあの人はだれですか
いつwhen休やすみはいつですか
いくらhow much (price)これはいくらですか
どうしてwhyどうして日本に来きましたか
どうhow; how about日本のせいかつはどうですか
どれ / どのwhich (of three or more)どれがいいですか / どの電車でんしゃですか

なに or なん?

Both are written 何 and mean “what”. Say なん before です, before words that start with a t, d or n sound (何なんの本ほんですか) and before counters: 何時なんじ, 何人なんにん, 何曜日なんようび. Say なに before を, が and most other particles: 何なにを飲のみますか, 何なにがいいですか.

In casual speech なんで also means “why”, so to ask “how did you get here?” the clearer question is 何なにで来きましたか — 電車でんしゃで来きました.

Asking why: どうして … 〜から

どうして asks for a reason. Answer with the reason + から (“because”): どうして日本語にほんごをべんきょうしますか — 日本の会社かいしゃではたらきますから. なぜ means the same and sounds more formal; it is common in writing and in the news.

Be careful with tone: a short, direct どうしてですか to your boss or a customer can sound like a complaint. Start with すみません、 and keep your voice soft.

どう and いかが

どう asks “how is …?” or “how about …?”: しごとはどうですか — “How is work?” いかが is the polite form of どう. Shop staff use it all the time, and you use it to offer something to your boss, a customer or a guest: コーヒーはいかがですか — “Would you like some coffee?” Accept with はい、いただきます and refuse with いいえ、けっこうです.

どれ, どの and どちら

どれ stands alone; どの always comes before a noun — the same pattern as これ and この in lesson 9: どれがあなたのかさですか = どのかさがあなたのですか. When there are only two choices, use どちら: コーヒーとおちゃと、どちらがいいですか.

Polite question words at work and in shops

EverydayPoliteExample
どこどちらお国はどちらですか — Where are you from?
だれどなた失礼しつれいですが、どなたですか — Excuse me, may I ask who you are?
どういかがお飲のみ物ものはいかがですか — Would you like something to drink?

At the city office, a bank or a clinic reception you will often hear お名前をおねがいします — “Your name, please.” When you exchange business cards, people ask 失礼しつれいですが、会社かいしゃはどちらですか — “Excuse me, which company are you with?” In a shop, すみません、これはいくらですか and お手洗てあらいはどちらですか (“Where is the restroom?”) will get you a long way.

Common mistakes

  • Changing the word order. Keep the answer’s order: えきはどこですか, not “どこはえきですか”.
  • Using は after a question word. A question word that is the subject takes が: だれが来きますか, not “だれは来ますか”.
  • Saying “なにですか”. Before です it is always なんですか.
  • Offering something to a customer or your boss with どうですか. いかがですか is the polite choice.
  • Using どれ for two things. With two choices, use どちら.

How to practise

  • Write one question with each question word about your own life, then answer it.
  • Practise the shop phrases これはいくらですか and お手洗てあらいはどちらですか aloud.
  • Role-play a first meeting at work: お名前は？ お国はどちらですか 会社かいしゃはどちらですか
  • Write 名, 国, 会 and 社 on the worksheet and do the fill-in exercise.

Study options

Vocabulary

Vocabulary list
JapaneseReadingRomajiMeaningType
何なに・なんnani / nanwhatOther
どこどこdokowhereOther
だれだれdarewhoOther
どなたどなたdonatawho (polite)Other
いついつitsuwhenOther
いくらいくらikurahow much (price)Other
どうしてどうしてdōshitewhyAdverb
なぜなぜnazewhy (more formal)Adverb
どうどうdōhow; how aboutAdverb
いかがいかがikagahow; how about (polite)Adverb
どちらどちらdochirawhich (of two); where (polite)Other
名前なまえnamaenameNoun
国くにkunicountry; home countryNoun
会社かいしゃkaishacompany; officeNoun
会いますあいますaimasuto meetVerb

Grammar

〜は＋question word＋ですか

asking what, where, who, when … with です

Put the question word where the answer goes and end with か. The word order does not change. Formal writing ends a question with 。; ？ is common in casual messages.

Examples

  1. トイレはどこですか。

    トイレはどこですか。

    Toire wa doko desu ka.

    Where is the toilet?

  2. あの人はだれですか。

    あのひとはだれですか。

    Ano hito wa dare desu ka.

    Who is that person?

  3. しけんはいつですか。

    しけんはいつですか。

    Shiken wa itsu desu ka.

    When is the exam?

なに／なん

“what” — two pronunciations of 何

なん before です, before words starting with a t, d or n sound (何なんの) and before counters (何時なんじ, 何人なんにん, 何曜日なんようび). なに before を, が and most other particles.

Examples

  1. これは何ですか。

    これはなんですか。

    Kore wa nan desu ka.

    What is this?

  2. 何を飲みますか。

    なにをのみますか。

    Nani o nomimasu ka.

    What will you drink?

  3. 何人来ますか。

    なんにんきますか。

    Nannin kimasu ka.

    How many people are coming?

Question word＋が

a question word as the subject

When the question word is the subject, it takes が, never は, and the answer uses が too: だれが来きますか — 田中たなかさんが来きます.

Examples

  1. だれが来ますか。

    だれがきますか。

    Dare ga kimasu ka.

    Who is coming?

  2. どれがいいですか。

    どれがいいですか。

    Dore ga ii desu ka.

    Which one would you like?

  3. 何が好きですか。

    なにがすきですか。

    Nani ga suki desu ka.

    What do you like?

どうして〜か／〜から

why …? / because …

どうして asks for a reason; answer with the reason + から. なぜ means the same but sounds more formal. In casual speech you will also hear なんで.

Examples

  1. どうして日本語をべんきょうしますか。

    どうしてにほんごをべんきょうしますか。

    Dōshite Nihongo o benkyō shimasu ka.

    Why do you study Japanese?

  2. 日本の会社ではたらきますから。

    にほんのかいしゃではたらきますから。

    Nihon no kaisha de hatarakimasu kara.

    Because I’m going to work for a Japanese company.

  3. どうして昨日休やすみましたか。

    どうしてきのうやすみましたか。

    Dōshite kinō yasumimashita ka.

    Why were you off yesterday?

どう／いかが

how is …? / would you like …? (polite)

どう asks for an opinion: 日本のたべものはどうですか. いかが is the polite version; use it to offer something to a customer, a guest or your boss. Accept with はい、いただきます; refuse with いいえ、けっこうです.

Examples

  1. しごとはどうですか。

    しごとはどうですか。

    Shigoto wa dō desu ka.

    How is work?

  2. おちゃはいかがですか。

    おちゃはいかがですか。

    Ocha wa ikaga desu ka.

    Would you like some tea?

  3. はい、いただきます。

    はい、いただきます。

    Hai, itadakimasu.

    Yes, thank you (I’ll have some).

どれ／どの＋noun／どちら

which one? (of three or more) / which? (of two)

どれ stands alone; どの comes before a noun. For a choice between two things, use どちら — it is also the polite word for “where”.

Examples

  1. どのバスがえきへ行きますか。

    どのバスがえきへいきますか。

    Dono basu ga eki e ikimasu ka.

    Which bus goes to the station?

  2. あかいのとしろいのと、どちらがいいですか。

    あかいのとしろいのと、どちらがいいですか。

    Akai no to shiroi no to, dochira ga ii desu ka.

    Which would you like, the red one or the white one?

Kanji

Select a kanji to see its readings, stroke count and example words.

  • 名name; famous
    On’yomi
    メイ、ミョウ
    Kun’yomi
    な
    Strokes
    6

    Example words

    • 名前 なまえ name
    • 有名 ゆうめい famous
    • 名刺 めいし business card
  • 国country
    On’yomi
    コク
    Kun’yomi
    くに
    Strokes
    8

    Example words

    • 国 くに country
    • 外国 がいこく foreign country
    • 中国 ちゅうごく China
  • 会to meet; meeting
    On’yomi
    カイ、エ
    Kun’yomi
    あ（う）
    Strokes
    6

    Example words

    • 会社 かいしゃ company
    • 会います あいます to meet
    • 会議 かいぎ meeting
  • 社company; shrine
    On’yomi
    シャ
    Kun’yomi
    やしろ
    Strokes
    7

    Example words

    • 会社 かいしゃ company
    • 社長 しゃちょう company president
    • 社員 しゃいん employee

Practice quiz

Choose one answer for each question, then press “Check answer”. Nothing is saved or sent.

Question 1 of 10Complete the question: これは ___ ですか。 (What is this?)
Question 2 of 10How do you ask “Where is the station?”
Question 3 of 10Which question word asks for a price?
Question 4 of 10Choose the particle: だれ ___ 来ますか。 (Who is coming?)
Question 5 of 10You offer coffee to a customer. What do you say?
Question 6 of 10Which is a good answer to どうして日本に来ましたか？
Question 7 of 10Which is the most polite way to ask “Where are you from?”
Question 8 of 10How do you say “Which bus?”
Question 9 of 10How do you read 名前?
Question 10 of 10How do you read 会社?

0 of 10 answered

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a question mark in Japanese?

Not really. か at the end already makes a sentence a question, so formal writing usually ends with 。. In casual messages people often use ？ instead of か, for example 何時？. When you write polite Japanese, end with か。.

Is it rude to ask どうして?

Not in itself, but a short, direct どうしてですか can sound like you are challenging the other person, especially your boss or a customer. Start with すみません、 and keep your tone soft. Tone of voice matters a lot.

What is the difference between どちら and どっち?

They mean the same — “which of the two” or “which way”. どちら is polite and is used at work and in shops; どっち is casual and used with friends and family.

Why do shop staff say いかがですか so often?

It is the polite, customer-facing form of どうですか. Staff use it to offer things — ふくろはいかがですか (Would you like a bag?), もう一ついかがですか (Would you like another one?). Reply はい、おねがいします or いいえ、けっこうです.

More lessons at this level

N5 Grammar
Lesson 17

Saying what you want: 〜たい and 〜がほしい

Say what you want to do with 〜たいです, what you don’t want to do with 〜たくないです and what you wanted to do with 〜たかったです; say what things you want with 〜がほしいです — and learn why Japanese doesn’t use 〜たい about other people.

40 min
N5 Grammar
Lesson 18

The て-form: rules, 〜てください and 〜てもいいですか

Make the て-form of every verb — って, んで, いて, いで and して for Group 1, 〜て for Group 2, して and きて for Group 3, plus the exception 行って — then use it to ask with 〜てください and to ask permission with 〜てもいいですか.

45 min
N5 Grammar
Lesson 19

〜ています: actions in progress and states

Use 〜ています for what is happening right now and for states that continue — すんでいます (live), けっこんしています (be married), しっています (know) and its negative しりません — and say where you work with 〜ではたらいています.

40 min

Keep going

Continue to the next level

Comfortable with these lessons? Move on to JLPT N4 and keep building your Japanese one step at a time.

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