Interrogatives

疑問詞・ぎもんし

Overview

Interrogatives are words used to ask questions. In Japanese, they are used to form questions such as "what," "who," "where," "when," and more. Common Japanese interrogatives include 「何」 (what), 「誰」 (who), 「どこ」 (where), and 「いつ」 (when). These words are essential for everyday conversation as well as formal interactions.

Common Interrogatives

Interrogative	Translation	Explanation
何（なに）	What?	Used to ask about things, objects, or events.
誰（だれ）	Who?	Used to ask about a person's identity or who someone is.
どこ	Where?	Used to ask about location or place.
いつ	When?	Used to ask about time.
なぜ/どうして	Why?	Used to ask for the reason or cause.
どれ	Which (one)?	Used to ask which one from a group of options.
どう	How?	Used to ask about the method, state, or condition.
いくつ	How many?	Used to ask about the quantity of something.
どの	Which (specific)?	Used to ask about a specific item within a set.
どちら	Which (direction)?	Used to ask about direction or to choose between two items.

Structure

Interrogatives generally appear at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence to form a question. They are often combined with the particle 「か」 to form a complete question, such as 「何ですか？」 (What is it?).

何 + Particle + Verb
- Example: 何を食べますか？ (What will you eat?)
誰 + Particle + Verb
- Example: 誰が来ますか？ (Who is coming?)

Usage Explanation

何（なに）: Used to ask about objects or events.
Example: 何をしていますか？ (What are you doing?)
誰（だれ）: Used to ask about a person's identity.
Example: あの人は誰ですか？ (Who is that person?)
どこ: Used to ask about locations.
Example: どこに行きますか？ (Where are you going?)
いつ: Used to ask about time.
Example: いつ来ましたか？ (When did you come?)
なぜ/どうして: Used to ask for reasons.
Example: どうして泣いているの？ (Why are you crying?)

Example Sentences

これは何ですか？
What is this?
彼は誰ですか？
Who is he?
どこに行きますか？
Where are you going?
いつ始まりますか？
When does it start?
なぜ遅れたのですか？
Why were you late?
どれが一番好きですか？
Which one do you like the most?
いくつありますか？
How many are there?

Key Points to Note

どれ vs. どの:
- どれ is used when choosing between multiple objects, e.g., 「どれが好きですか？」 (Which do you like?).
- どの must be used before a noun to specify choices within a certain range, e.g., 「どの本が好きですか？」 (Which book do you like?).
どう: Used to ask about method or condition, often paired with adjectives.
- Example: 調子はどうですか？ (How are you feeling?)

Summary

Interrogatives are the foundation of asking questions in Japanese, used in a wide range of situations. Understanding how to use different interrogatives such as 「何」, 「誰」, 「どこ」, and 「いつ」 will greatly enhance communication. They are versatile tools for forming clear and effective questions.