Japanese Information Questions: Asking Who, What, and Where with Simple Verbs
Learn to form Japanese wh-questions with だれ, なに, and どこ using simple verbs like 住む (sumu, to live). Compare them with yes/no questions and practice polite forms.
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In Japanese, information questions use question words like だれ (dare, who), なに (nani, what), and どこ (doko, where). Unlike English, you do not move the question word to the front; it stays where the answer would be. The verb comes at the end, and you add the question particle か (ka) to make it a question. This lesson teaches you to ask and answer simple wh-questions with common verbs such as 住む (sumu, to live), 食べる (taberu, to eat), and する (suru, to do). You will also learn how these differ from yes/no questions, which simply add か to a statement without a question word.
By the end, you can…
- ask who, what, and where questions using だれ, なに, and どこ.
- use the polite verb form 〜ます (〜masu) in information questions.
- tell the difference between a wh-question and a yes/no question in Japanese.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
どこに住んでいますか。
Where do you live?
doko ni sunde imasu ka
Use に (ni) with 住む (sumu) to mark the place of residence. The verb is in the polite 〜ています (〜te imasu) form for an ongoing state. Note that 住んでいます is often pronounced 住んでます (sunde masu) in casual speech.
だれが来ますか。
Who is coming?
dare ga kimasu ka
Use が (ga) to mark the subject when asking 'who'. 来ます (kimasu) is the polite form of 来る (kuru, to come).
なにを食べますか。
What will you eat?
nani o tabemasu ka
Use を (o) to mark the object of 食べます (tabemasu, to eat). なに (nani) becomes なん (nan) before some sounds, but here it stays なに.
どこで会いますか。
Where shall we meet?
doko de aimasu ka
Use で (de) to mark the location of an action. 会います (aimasu) means 'to meet'.
これはなんですか。
What is this?
kore wa nan desu ka
Before です (desu), なに changes to なん (nan). This is a common set phrase for asking what something is.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Japanese wh-questions keep the question word in the same position as the answer. For example, if the answer is 東京に住んでいます (Tōkyō ni sunde imasu, I live in Tokyo), the question is どこに住んでいますか (doko ni sunde imasu ka, Where do you live?). The particle に (ni) marks the location of existence, で (de) marks the location of an action, を (o) marks the object, and が (ga) marks the subject. The verb always comes at the end, and か (ka) turns the sentence into a question. So the pattern is: [question word] + [appropriate particle] + [other elements] + [verb in 〜ます form] + か.
When to use it
Use these questions when you need specific information. For example, ask どこに住んでいますか (doko ni sunde imasu ka) when you want to know someone's residence, not just whether they live somewhere. In contrast, a yes/no question like 東京に住んでいますか (Tōkyō ni sunde imasu ka, Do you live in Tokyo?) can be answered with はい (hai, yes) or いいえ (iie, no). Wh-questions cannot be answered with yes or no; they require a specific answer. Also, in polite conversation, use the 〜ます form and add か at the end. In casual speech, you may drop か and use rising intonation, but for beginners, the polite form is safer.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
どこに住んでいますか。
Where do you live?doko ni sunde imasu ka大阪に住んでいます。
I live in Osaka.Ōsaka ni sunde imasuだれと住んでいますか。
Who do you live with?dare to sunde imasu ka家族と住んでいます。
I live with my family.kazoku to sunde imasuA little context goes a long way
In Japanese, polite questions often use the 〜ます form and end with か. When asking personal questions like where someone lives, it is common to use a softer tone or add 〜さん (〜san) to the person's name. However, direct questions are acceptable among friends. Avoid using casual forms with strangers or superiors unless you are close.
One thing to watch for
Putting the question word at the beginning of the sentence, as in English: どこあなたは住んでいますか (doko anata wa sunde imasu ka).
Try this instead: In Japanese, the question word stays in the position of the answer. The correct sentence is どこに住んでいますか (doko ni sunde imasu ka). The particle に is necessary after どこ. Also, the subject is often omitted when clear from context, so you do not need あなたは (anata wa).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Ask 'What do you eat?' in polite Japanese.
Show a sample answer
なにを食べますか。 (nani o tabemasu ka)
Use なに (nani) for 'what', を (o) to mark the object, and 食べます (tabemasu) for 'eat'. The question particle か ends the sentence. You could also say なにを食べていますか (nani o tabete imasu ka) if asking about a current action, but 食べますか is fine for a general question.
2Ask 'Who is coming?' in polite Japanese.
Show a sample answer
だれが来ますか。 (dare ga kimasu ka)
Use だれ (dare) for 'who', が (ga) to mark the subject, and 来ます (kimasu) for 'come'. The particle が is used because だれ is the subject. In casual speech, you might hear だれが来る？ (dare ga kuru?), but the polite form is safer for beginners.
3What is the difference between 東京に住んでいますか (Tōkyō ni sunde imasu ka) and どこに住んでいますか (doko ni sunde imasu ka)?
Show a sample answer
The first is a yes/no question meaning 'Do you live in Tokyo?' and can be answered with はい or いいえ. The second is a wh-question meaning 'Where do you live?' and requires a specific place as the answer.
Yes/no questions in Japanese are formed by adding か to a statement without a question word. Wh-questions contain a question word like どこ, だれ, or なに and cannot be answered with yes or no. Both use the same polite verb form, but the presence of the question word changes the type of question.
To ask who, what, or where in Japanese, keep the question word in the position of the answer, use the correct particle (が, を, に, で), put the verb in the 〜ます form at the end, and add か. This makes a polite information question, different from a yes/no question.
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