WH-Question Word Summary

WH-Question Word Summary

So far, we have seen the following question words (WH-words like "what", "when", "who", etc.). Note:

Different particles can follow the WH word except for the topic marker は.
Some WH words can be combined with a counter (e.g., 何時, 何かい, 何時間, etc.).
Some uses of WH words do not require any particles after the question word (e.g., どこですか, 何ですか, 何時間 ねますか).

何 {なん} 何 {なに} What?	これは　何 {なん} ですか。何 {なに} が　すきですか。何 {なに} を　しますか。　何 {なに} で　かきますか。何 {なに} に　かきますか。何 {なに} から　しますか。	What is this? What do you like? What do/will you do? With what do/will you write it? On/To what do/will you write it? From/Starting with what do/will you do it?
何時 {なんじ} 何時間 {なんじかん} 何分 {なんぷん} What time?	いま、何時 {なんじ} ですか。何時 {なんじ} に　しますか。何時 {なんじ} から　しますか。何時 {なんじ} まで　しますか。何時間 {なんじかん} ねますか。何分 {なんぷん} に　しますか。何分 {なんぷん} しますか。	What time is it now? What time do/will you do it? From what time do/will you do it? Until what time do/will you do it? How many hours do you sleep? At how many minutes after the hour do you do it? How many minutes do you do it?
何 {なん} かい How many times?	何 {なん} かい　しますか。	How many times do/will you do it?
いつ何曜日{なんようび} When? What day?	いつですか。　いつ　しますか。いつから　しますか。いつまで　しますか。きょうは、何曜日 {なんようび} ですか。何曜日 {なんようび} に　しますか。	When is it? When do/will you do it? From when do/will you do it? Until when do/will you do it? What day of the week is today? What day of the week do you do it?
だれ Who?	だれですか。だれが　すきですか。だれと　いきますか。だれに　あいますか。だれに　いいますか／はなしますか。	Who is it? Who do you like? With whom do/will you go? Whom do/will you meet? To whom do/will you say/speak?
どこ Where?	どこですか。どこが　いいですか。どこで　たべますか。どこに or へ　いきますか。どこから　いきますか。どこまで　いきますか。	Where is it? What place is good? Where do/will you eat? Where do/will you go? From where do/will you go? As far as where do/will you go?
どんな What kind of?	どんな　本ですか。どんな　くるまがすきですか。	What kind of book is it? What kind of car do you like?
どちら Which of two? (Where?)	チキンとビーフと、どちらがすきですか。チキンとビーフと、どちらをたべますか。タクシーとでんしゃと、どちらでいきますか。どちら below can also mean the polite form of どこ. どちらですか。どちらに or へ　いきますか。どちらまで　いきますか。どちらから　いきますか。	Between chicken and beef, which do you like? Between chicken and beef, which do/will you eat? Between taxi and train, by which one do/will you go? Where/Which one of the two is it? Where/Which of the two places do/will you go? As far as where/which of the two places do/will you go? From where/which of the two places do/will you go?
どれ Which of three or more?	どれですか。チキンとビーフとポークのなかで、　どれが　すきですか。チキンとビーフとポークのなかで、　どれを　たべますか。どれに　いきますか。どれで　いきますか。	Which one of three or more is it? Among chicken, beef and pork, which do you like? Among chicken, beef and pork, which do/will you eat? Which one do/will you go to? By which one do/will you go?