Asking Anything: Question Words & the こそあど System
The final piece of Grammar Foundations turns you from someone who can state things into someone who can find things out — the true survival skill. Two toolkits in this chapter: the question words (what, who, where, when…) and Japan's marvelously logical こそあど demonstratives (this, that, that over there — and which?).
1. Question Words: The Interrogation Squad
You already know the mechanism: statements become questions with か at the end. Question words simply slot into the sentence where the answer would go — no word-order gymnastics:
| Word | Romaji | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 何 | nani / nan | what | これは何ですか。(Kore wa nan desu ka.) — What is this? |
| 誰 | dare | who | あの人は誰ですか。(Ano hito wa dare desu ka.) — Who is that person? |
| どこ | doko | where | 駅はどこですか。(Eki wa doko desu ka.) — Where is the station? |
| いつ | itsu | when | いつ日本に行きますか。(Itsu Nihon ni ikimasu ka.) — When are you going to Japan? |
| どう | dō | how | 日本はどうですか。(Nihon wa dō desu ka.) — How is Japan? / What do you think of Japan? |
| いくら | ikura | how much (price) | これはいくらですか。(Kore wa ikura desu ka.) — How much is this? |
| どうして / なぜ | dōshite / naze | why | どうしてですか。(Dōshite desu ka.) — Why is that? |
| どれ / どの〜 | dore / dono | which (one) | どれがいいですか。(Dore ga ii desu ka.) — Which one is good? |
The shape-shifter 何: nani or nan?
何 reads なん before d/t/n sounds and counters (何ですか nan desu ka, 何時 nanji, 何人 nannin) and なに most elsewhere (何を食べますか nani o tabemasu ka). Combine 何 with counters from the numbers chapter and questions bloom: 何時 (nanji, what time), 何人 (nannin, how many people), 何歳 (nansai, how old), 何曜日 (nan'yōbi, what day).
Question words wear particles too
Whatever job the answer would have, the question word takes that job's particle:
誰と行きますか。(Dare to ikimasu ka.) — With whom will you go? → 友だちと行きます。
どこで食べますか。(Doko de tabemasu ka.) — Where (at) will you eat? → レストランで食べます。
何を買いましたか。(Nani o kaimashita ka.) — What did you buy? → パンを買いました。
And remember the rule from the particles chapter: a question word as the subject takes が (誰が来ますか) — never は.
2. The こそあど System: Japan's GPS of Pointing
English has two distances: this (near) and that (far). Japanese has three — plus a question form — and they all follow one gloriously consistent pattern of first syllables:
| Prefix | Zone | Feeling |
|---|---|---|
| こ〜 | near me (the speaker) | "this, here" |
| そ〜 | near you (the listener) | "that (by you)" |
| あ〜 | far from both of us | "that over there" |
| ど〜 | unknown | "which? where?" |
Now watch the whole family snap into place:
| こ (near me) | そ (near you) | あ (far away) | ど (question) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thing (stands alone) | これ kore this one | それ sore that one | あれ are that one over there | どれ dore which one? |
| + Noun (needs a noun) | この本 kono hon this book | その本 sono hon that book | あの本 ano hon that book over there | どの本 dono hon which book? |
| Place | ここ koko here | そこ soko there | あそこ asoko over there | どこ doko where? |
| Direction (polite) | こちら kochira this way | そちら sochira that way | あちら achira that way over there | どちら dochira which way? |
Learn the prefixes once — こ・そ・あ・ど — and you own sixteen words. (Note あそこ sneaks in an extra syllable, and it's この+noun, not これの!)
これ vs この: the critical difference
これはペンです。(Kore wa pen desu.) — This is a pen. (これ stands alone)
このペンは高いです。(Kono pen wa takai desu.) — This pen is expensive. (この must hold a noun's hand)
この/その/あの/どの can never stand alone; これ/それ/あれ/どれ can never touch a noun directly. Mix them up and Japanese ears itch immediately.
そ vs あ in real life
The そ-zone is the listener's space; the あ-zone belongs to neither of you:
それは何ですか。(Sore wa nan desu ka.) — What's that (you're holding)?
あれは何ですか。(Are wa nan desu ka.) — What's that (over there — the tower on the horizon)?
Shop-counter magic: point and say これをください (kore o kudasai, "this one, please") for something in front of you, それをください for something near the clerk. Instant, polite, effective — the full shopping scene comes in the Conversation section!
Bonus: あの人 (ano hito, "that person over there") is also the neutral way to say "he/she" — and its polite version あの方 (ano kata) you met in the family chapter. こちら doubles as polite introduction language: こちらは田中さんです ("This is Tanaka-san").
3. Answering Questions Naturally
Question-and-answer is a rhythm: the answer replaces the question word and keeps the rest — usually trimmed to the essentials:
Q: それは何ですか。(Sore wa nan desu ka.) — What's that?
A: これは日本のお茶です。(Kore wa Nihon no ocha desu.) — This is Japanese tea. (Note the zones swap: your それ is my これ!)
Q: トイレはどこですか。(Toire wa doko desu ka.)
A: あそこです。(Asoko desu.) — Over there. (Point politely with an open hand!)
Q: いつ来ましたか。(Itsu kimashita ka.) — When did you come?
A: 先週来ました。(Senshū kimashita.) — I came last week.
Soft-answer toolkit: そうです (sō desu, "that's right"), ちがいます (chigaimasu, "that's not it"), わかりません (wakarimasen, "I don't know/understand"), and the thoughtful stall そうですね… (sō desu ne…, "let me see…").
4. Practice: Interrogation Gym
Cover the answers and produce the question or completion:
| Task | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ask the price of the item in your hand | これはいくらですか。(Kore wa ikura desu ka.) |
| Ask what time it is now | 今、何時ですか。(Ima, nanji desu ka.) |
| Ask who that person (far away) is | あの人は誰ですか。(Ano hito wa dare desu ka.) |
| "Which book is interesting?" | どの本がおもしろいですか。(Dono hon ga omoshiroi desu ka.) |
| Ask where your friend will eat lunch | どこで昼ごはんを食べますか。(Doko de hirugohan o tabemasu ka.) |
| "That building over there is the bank." | あのビルは銀行です。(Ano biru wa ginkō desu.) |
| Ask the clerk for "that one" (near them) | それをください。(Sore o kudasai.) |
Summary & Key Takeaways
- Question words sit exactly where the answer will sit, and they wear the answer's particle: 誰と, どこで, 何を. Subject question-words take が.
- 何 = なん before d/t/n and counters (何時, 何人); なに elsewhere.
- The こそあど grid: こ near me, そ near you, あ far from both, ど question — across things (これ), noun-partners (この+noun), places (ここ), and polite directions (こちら).
- これ/それ/あれ stand alone; この/その/あの must hold a noun.
- Zones swap between speakers: your それ is my これ.
- Answer melodies: そうです / ちがいます / わかりません / あそこです.
- Grammar Foundations complete! You can state, negate, time-travel, describe, locate, and now interrogate. The final section puts it all on stage: real conversations, starting with introducing yourself.