What is that?
Where is the toilet?
How much is this?
Have you ever wondered how to ask questions in Japanese? Well, if you are. You are reading the right post.
Just like Chinese, we do not have to change the word order for both question and answer. The answer is located at the same place as the question words. Let’s see the examples of how to use these vocabulary in the sentence!
QUESTION WORD
WHAT
What in Japanese (何) has two readings: nani and nan. Nan is always used before です (desu), でも (demo), で (de), and の (no), while nani is for all other cases.
何 (nan)
それは何ですか？
Sore wa nan desu ka?
What is that?
To answer the question in full sentence, you have to switch kore and sore – this and that in Japanese.
これは写真です。
Kore wa shashin desu.
This is a photo.
However, in conversation, we should always answer shortly.
写真です。
Shashin desu.
(It is) a photo.
何 (nani)
何が好きですか？
Nani ga suki desu ka?
What do you like?
コーヒーです。
Kōhī desu.
(I like) coffee.
WHO
あの人は誰ですか？
Ano hito wa dare desu ka?
Who is that person?
木村さんです。
Kimura-san desu.
(He is) Mr. Kimura.
WHERE
トイレはどこですか？
Toire wa dokodesu ka?
Where is the toilet?
あそこです。
Asoko desu.
It is over there.
WHEN
いつ来ましたか？
Itsu kimashita ka?
When did you come?
昨日です。
Kinō desu.
Yesterday.
WHY
There are a few ways to express ‘why’ in Japanese.
なぜ (naze)
This is the polite and formal version of why. You can use なぜ (naze) in formal writing and speech but not in the daily conversation.
なぜ遅刻したのですか?
Naze chikoku shitanodesuka?
Why were you late?
どうして (dōshite)
どうして (dōshite) can be used in everyday conversation with anyone.
どうしてそんなに急ぐの？
Dōshite son nani isogu no?
Why are you in such a hurry?
何で (nande)
A casual way to express why. You can use 何で (nande) with your family and close friends.
何で怒ってるの?
Nande okotteru no?
Why are you angry?
In fact, 何で is ambiguous because it means ‘why’(= by what kind of reason) and ‘how’(= by what kind of way). You can differentiate them by the context and intonation, but when it’s pronounced as ‘nani de’, it means only ‘how’, while ‘nan de’ mean both ‘why’ and ‘how’.
なにで大阪に来ましたか？
Nanide Ōsaka ni kimashita ka?
How did you come to Osaka?
HOW
結果はどうでしたか？
Kekka wa dō desitaka?
How was the result?
HOW MANY
Just like English ‘how many’, いくつ (ikutsu) is a question word for asking the number of countable things.
いくつありますか?
Ikutsu arimasu ka?
How many are there?
いくつ (ikutsu) can be used to ask the age of people as well.
彼はいくつですか？
Kare wa ikutsu desu ka?
How old is he?
HOW MUCH
On the other hand, いくら (ikura) is used for uncountable things. It is commonly used to ask the price of something.
これはいくらですか？
Kore wa ikura desu ka?
How much is this?
WHICH (OUT OF TWO OPTIONS)
If there are two options available, you can use どちら (dochira) or どっち (docchi) to say ‘which one’. Both of them are the same, どちら (dochira) is formal while どっち (docchi) is an informal version.
リンゴかバナナ、どちらがいいですか？
Ringo ka banana, dochira ga ī desu ka?
Which one is better? Apple or banana?
WHICH (OUT OF THREE OR MORE OPTIONS)
If the options are three or more, use どれ (dore) instead.
この中でどれが一番好きですか？
Kono naka de dore ga ichiban suki desu ka?
Which do you like the best among these?
QUESTION WORD COMPOUNDS
QUESTION WORDS + も = EVERY- OR NO-
Examples:
何も知りません。
Nani mo shirimasen.
(I) know nothing [I do not know anything].
誰もいません。
Dare mo imasen.
No one is here.
どこにも行きませんでした。
Dokoni mo ikimasendeshita.
(I) went nowhere [(I) did not go anywhere].
いつも夜10時に寝ます。
Itsumo yoru 10-ji ni nemasu.
(I) always go to bed at 10 o’clock.
QUESTION WORDS + でも = ANY-
Examples:
何でも食べます。
Nan demo tabemasu.
I can eat anything.
いつでも使って下さい。
Itsu demo tsukatte kudasai.
Please use it anytime.
どうしてもそれが欲しいです。
Dōshitemo sore ga hoshī desu.
I want that no matter what.
どちらでも良いです。
Dochira demo ī desu.
Either is fine.
QUESTION WORDS + か = SOME-
Examples:
誰かお探しですか?
Dareka osagashi desu ka?
(Are you) looking for someone?
仕事はどうにかこうにか仕上がった。
Shigoto wa dōnika kō ni ka shiagatta.
I managed to finish my work somehow.
いくつか問題があります。
Ikutsuka mondai ga arimasu.
There are some problems.
どれか選んでください。
Dore ka erande kudasai.
Please choose one (out of three or more things).
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