Learn Japanese Free Learn Japanese Free
Question words in Japanese
By mastering these question words, your conversational skills will be much stronger.
| Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Meaning |
| いくら | ikura | how much (money) | |
| いつ | itsu | when | |
| 誰 | だれ | dare | who |
| どう | dou | how | |
| どうして | doushite | why | |
| どうやって | dou yatte | how | |
| どこ | doko | where | |
| どの | dono | which | |
| どのくらい | donokurai | how much (quantity); how long | |
| どれ | dore | which one; which (of three or more) | |
| どんな | donna | what kind of | |
| 何 | なに | nani | what |
| 何色 | なにいろ | nani iro | what colour |
| いかが | ikaga | how (about) | |
| なぜ | naze | why; how | |
| 何 with a measure word | なん with a measure word | ||
| 何月 | なんがつ | nangatsu | which month; what month |
| 何時 | なんじ | nanji | what time; which hour |
| 何日 | なんにち | nan nichi | what date; what day; how many days |
| 何曜日 | なんようび | nan youbi | what day?; what day of the week? |
い つ (itsu) : when
いつ きました か？
itsu kimashita ka?
When did you come?
ど こ (doko) : where
どこ から きました か？
doko kara kimashita ka?
Where did you come from?
どうして (doushite) : why
どうして きました か？
doushite kimashita ka?
Why did you come?
な ぜ (naze) : why
なぜ
naze?
Why?
だ れ (dare) : who
だれが きました か。
dare ga kimashita ka?
Who came?
何 (nani) : what
なにを買いましたか。
nani wo kaimashita ka.
What did you buy?
Main points:
Even with the question word a ka is used. (Except in casual spoken Japanese.)
The question word is at the beginning, but after the topic particle wa if there is one.
あなた は だれ です か？
anata wa dare desu ka?
Who are you? (the question word dare is after the wa)
