Questions (What, Where, Who, When)
Learning Objectives
- Understand how Japanese word order remains exactly the same for questions.
- Learn the rule for pronouncing What (なに vs なん).
- Ask locations, times, and people using どこ, いつ, and だれ.
- Ask 'Why' (どうして) and answer with 'Because' (から).
In English, asking a question usually requires you to completely scramble the word order of a sentence. (Statement: “You are going to Tokyo today.” ➔ Question: “When are you going to Tokyo?”).
Japanese is much, much simpler! The word order never changes. If you do not know a piece of information, you simply remove the unknown word, drop a Question Word into its exact spot, and slap the particle か (ka) onto the end of the sentence.
Let’s master the five most important question words in the Japanese language!
1. What (なに / なん)
The word for “What” is primarily pronounced なに (Nani). However, because Japanese is a spoken language based on flow, native speakers often shorten it to なん (Nan) depending on the sound that comes directly after it.
The Golden Rule: You must say なん (Nan) if the particle immediately following it starts with a D, T, or N sound (e.g., です、で、と、の). In almost all other cases (like marking the object with を or the subject with が), you say なに (Nani).
これ は なん ですか。
Kore wa nan desuka?
What is this? (Followed by 'de'su)
あさごはん に なに を たべます か。
Asagohan ni nani o tabemasuka?
What will you eat for breakfast? (Followed by 'o')
きのう なに が ありました か。
Kinou nani ga arimashitaka?
What happened (existed) yesterday? (Followed by 'ga')
2. Where (どこ)
The word for “Where” is どこ (Doko). Just like any other location in Japanese, it needs a particle to tell us how it connects to the verb! If you are asking where someone is traveling to, mark it with へ or に. If you are asking where an action is happening at, mark it with で.
トイレ は どこ ですか。
Toire wa doko desuka?
Where is the toilet?
あした どこ へ いきますか。
Ashita doko e ikimasuka?
Where will you go tomorrow?
どこ で ひるごはん を たべますか。
Doko de hirugohan o tabemasuka?
Where will we eat lunch?
3. Who (だれ)
The word for “Who” is だれ (Dare). It replaces the name of the unknown person. If you are asking who performed the action, mark “Dare” with が (never は). If you want to ask “With who”, mark it with と.
だれ が きました か。
Dare ga kimashitaka?
Who came?
だれ と えいが を みますか。
Dare to eiga o mimasuka?
Who will you watch the movie with?
これ は だれ の くるま です か。
Kore wa dare no kuruma desu ka?
Whose car is this? (Who + no = Whose)
4. When (いつ)
The word for “When” is いつ (Itsu).
Unlike specific days or times (e.g., Monday, 3:00) which require the particle に, the question word いつ is uniquely vague. Because it is so general, you do not use a particle after it. It just floats freely in the sentence!
いつ にほん へ いきます か。
Itsu Nihon e ikimasu ka?
When will you go to Japan?
たんじょうび は いつ ですか。
Tanjoubi wa itsu desuka?
When is your birthday?
5. Why and Because (どうして / から)
To ask “Why”, you place the word どうして (Doushite) at the beginning of the sentence.
To answer a “Why” question, Japanese places the word “Because”—which is から (kara)—at the very end of the sentence, immediately after the reason!
どうして きのう べんきょう を しませんでした か。
Doushite kinou benkyou o shimasen deshita ka?
Why didn't you study yesterday?
じかん が ありませんでした から。
Jikan ga arimasen deshita kara.
Because I did not have time.
なんで ですか。
Nande desuka?
Why is it? (Note: なんで is a casual alternative to どうして).
Master Question Vocabulary
| Word | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| なに / なん | Nani / Nan | What | Question Word |
| どこ | Doko | Where | Question Word |
| だれ | Dare | Who | Question Word |
| いつ | Itsu | When | Question Word |
| どうして / なんで | Doushite / Nande | Why | Question Word |
| いくら | Ikura | How much (Cost) | Question Word |
| から | Kara | Because (Placed at the end) | Particle |
Conversation Practice
スミスさん、いつ きょうと へ いきますか。
Sumisu-san, itsu Kyouto e ikimasuka?
Mr. Smith, when are you going to Kyoto?
きんようび に いきます。
Kinyoubi ni ikimasu.
I am going on Friday.
だれ と いきますか。
Dare to ikimasuka?
Who are you going with?
アリサさん と いきます。たなかさん は どこ へ いきますか。
Arisa-san to ikimasu. Tanaka-san wa doko e ikimasuka?
I am going with Alisa. Where are you going, Tanaka?
わたし は どこ も いきません。おかね が ありません から！
Watashi wa doko mo ikimasen. Okane ga arimasen kara!
I am not going anywhere. Because I have no money!
どうして おかね が ありません か。
Doushite okane ga arimasen ka?
Why do you have no money?
きのう、あたらしい カメラ を かいました から！
Kinou, atarashii kamera o kaimashita kara!
Because I bought a new camera yesterday!
Chapter Summary
- 1Japanese word order never scrambles to form a question; just drop the question word into the unknown slot and add 'ka' at the end.
- 2Say 'なん (Nan)' if the very next sound is D, T, or N (e.g., nan desu ka, nan de). Say 'なに (Nani)' for almost everything else (nani o).
- 3Use どこ for 'Where' and だれ for 'Who'. Follow them with particles as if they were regular nouns (e.g., Doko e = To where? Dare no = Whose?).
- 4いつ (When) is strangely unique: it almost never receives a particle.
- 5Ask 'Why?' with どうして (Doushite) or its casual cousin なんで (Nande). Answer by stating the reason and putting から (kara) at the end.
Knowledge Check
Test your ability to extract information!
Quiz
Which of the following is grammatically INCORRECT?