INTERROGATIVES Interrogatives are words used for asking content questions. Interestingly, interrogatives can also be used to create indefinite pronouns when combined with a particle such as ka, mo, and demo.
I. INTERROGATIVES USED IN CONTENT QUESTIONS The following are some examples of interrogative words in Japanese. 誰 どう どちら どこ どなた どんな どの どのくらい or どのぐらい どうして いくら いつ なに なぜ
dare
who
dō
how
dochira
which way, who’
doko
where
donata
who
donna
what kind of
dono
which
donokurai or donogurai
how much
dōshite
why, how
ikura
how much
itsu
when
nani
what
naze
why
(honorific)
(honorific)
(any sorts of measurement) (price)
Interrogative words can be created with counters, particles, and nouns.
何時に行きますか。 Nanji ni ikimasu ka. What time are you going there?
学生は何人いますか。 Gakusei wa nannin imasu ka. How many students are there?
どの人が田中さんですか。 Dono hito ga Tanaka san desu ka. Which person is Mr. Tanaka?
どんな人が来ましたか。 Donna hito ga kimashita ka. What kind of person came?
どのように書けばいいですか。 Dono yō ni kakeba ii desu ka. How should I write it?
どれだけ飲めばいいですか。 Dore dake nomeba ii desu ka.