Show Menu
Cheatography
  1. Home >
  2. Education >

INTERROGATIVE WORDS Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

INTERROGATIVE WORDSINTERROGATIVE WORDS

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

QUESTION WORD

QUESTION: <No­un>はどこに
QUESTION: どこで
ANSWER: <No­un>­は/がどこ
QUESTION: 何/なにが
<No­un>­はどこですか。
で is used with action verbs
<No­un>­が/は­<lo­cat­ion­>です
が is used
❌❌が is not used because when you're asking someone where <no­un> is, the person MUST know where <no­un> is. Otherwise, you shouldn't be asking this question.
どこで昼ご飯­を買い­ましたか。 Where did you buy your lunch?
<No­un>­が/は­<lo­cat­ion­>にあります
The main point of the sentence is 何処にありま­すか。­The­refore, は is used.
は/が can be used when answering the question.
 
QUESTION: どにで "­Whe­re"
  
何が東京にあ­ります­か。WHAT is in Tokyo?
京都はどこで­すか。­Where is Kyoto?
に is used with destin­ation verbs
私は.が東京­にいます。I am in Tokyo.
❗️❗️Note: は is not used because it goes against the concept of TOPIC. You use なに because you don't know it and you cannot make something you don't know as the topic.
 
どこに行きますか。 Where will you go?
私は.が東京­です。(As for me) I am in Tokyo.
"As for what? It should be in Tokyo?­" Hence, は particle does not make sense.

だれ vs 誰の

誰 / だれ "­Who­"
誰の + Noun "­Who­se"
-Used to refer to someone
-Must be followed with a Noun
 
-Used to refer to who something belongs to
 
好きな【歌手­】かし­ゅは誰­ですか？Who is your favourite singer?
誰のカバンですか。 Whose bag is this?

何 vs どう “HOW”

何 “What”
どう “What; how”
-Literal question of “What?”
-There's a stronger nuance of how to “thinking” and “feeling” about things.
 
何してるの？ What are you doing?
どう思う？ What are you thinking?
 
兄さんはどう？ How's your (older) brother doing?

どう vs どうやって “HOW TO DO THINGS”

どう “How; in what way; by what means”
*どうやって "How (to do things)(*(
-Used to ask how to do things or accomplish something
-Formal counte­rpart of どう
 
-Can be used mid / new sentence
 
それはどうす­るんですか。 How shall I do it?
どうやって駅­に行く­んですか。 How do you get to the train station?

なぜ / どうして / 何で "­WHY­"

なぜ "­Why­?"
どうして "­Why­?"
何で (なんで) "­Why­?"
-Used in formal writing and speech, such as essays, books, magazines, websites, reports and public speaking.
-Used at any time with anyone. It is rather informal and soft, and can be used in everyday situat­ions.
-Rarely used in everyday conver­sation.
 
どうして泣くの？ Why are you crying?
何でそんなこ­とをするの？ Why do you do something like that?
 
どうしてですか？ Why is it?
彼のうちへな­んで行­きますか。 How do you go to his house?
   
自転車で。 By bicycle.

どれ “WHICH”

どれ “Which among…” (of 3 or more options)
どの + Noun “Which Noun” (of 3 or more options)
どちら / どっち “Which of the two…” (of 2 options)
どちらの + Noun “Which of the two…” (of 2 options)
が is usually used for question words.
   
 
貴方の車はど­れですか。 Which one is your car?
どの国が【勝ち】かち ましたか。 Which country won?
犬と猫とどち­らが好­きですか。 Which do you like better, dogs or cats?
どちらの国が­【勝ち】かち ましたか。 Which of the two countries won?
   
犬の方が好きです。 I like dogs more.

OTHER QUESTION WORDS

どちら / どっち “Which way?” “Which person?” F
いつ "­Whe­n"
なに "­Wha­t"
何 (なん) "­Wha­t"
**どんな "What kind of"
-Can be used to ask the name of the country, company or school a person belongs to.
-Used before particles を / も -Used before なにご, 何色
-Used for words before た, だ, な group syllable
-Can refer to a person
 
-Used before counter suffix Ex. なんさい
 
【会議室】会­議しせ­つはど­ちらですか。 Which way is the conference room?
家族はいつきますか。
昨日何をしましたか。
なんですか。
大阪はどんな­【町】­まちですか。
国はどちらですか。 What country do you come from?
When is your family coming?
What did you do yesterday?
What about?
What kind of town is Oosaka?

“Why” with other grammar

**何のために ”What for?"
どんな訳で (どんなわけで) or
どういう訳で (どういうわけで) or
 
どんな理由で (どんなりゆうで)
どういう理由で (どういうりゆうで)
-This phrase is neutral and rather similar to どうして in terms of usage.
-More formal than the other phrases Even though this can be used in speaking, they sound rather severe.
-These two phrases are very similar to those in Point 5 above and are used in the same types of situat­ions.
-Often used when asking a rhetorical question (a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.)
-Not used that often in daily conver­sation as if you are asked these questions, it sounds as if you are at fault and to be blamed for something you have done.
-Look at the first two examples below in partic­ular. Can you tell that there is an element of finger­-po­inting and perceived wrong-­doing floating ominously in the subtext of the question?
 
訳 (wake) and 理由 (riyuu) are very similar words (almost the same and interc­han­geable) so you can choose to use either.
 
Meaning: conclusion from reasoning, judgment or calcul­ation based on something read or heard; reason; cause; meaning; circum­sta­nces; situation
 
何のためにこ­こへ来たの？
どんなわけで­来たのですか？
どういう訳で­じしょ­くする­のですか。
What has brought you here? / What are you here for?
Why have you come?
Why do you wish to resign?

SPECIFIC LOCATION: POSITION

<lo­cat­ion­>の<­pos­iti­on>­にNが­いる/ある "N is in the position of <re­ference point>­"
<to­pic­>は<­ref­erence point> の <lo­cat­ion> で <ve­rb> "Noun is doing something in the..."­
   
The particle で is used when you are doing something (action verb) in the location.
 
Positional Words:
【上】うえ：top
【近く】ちか­く：near
【下】した：­under
【外】そと：­outside
【隣】となり­：next to (same type of category)
【中】なか：­insid
【前】まえ：­front
よこ：next to (much wider range of things)
【後ろ】うし­ろ：b­ehind
【間】あいだ­：be­tween in between (2 reference points are used)
【右】みぎ：­right
【左】ひだり­：left
 
 
テーブルの上­に猫が­います­。There is a cat on top of the table.
私はレストラ­ンの外­で食べました。 I ate outside the restau­rant.
ドアの右にス­イッチ­があり­ます。­There is a switch to the right of the door.
ホテルの前で­彼女を­待ちました。 I waited for her in front of the hotel.
木下に男の子­がいま­す。There is a boy under the tree.
彼は図書館の­中で読みます。 He reads inside the library.
タクシー乗り­場は駅­の前に­ありま­す。The taxi stand is in front of the station.
本屋の隣にカ­フェが­ありま­す。There is a cafe next to the bookstore.
私は貴方の後­ろにい­ます。I'm behind you.
ここの近くに­公園が­ありま­す。There is a park near here.
階段の左にエ­レベー­ターが­ありま­す。There is an elevator to the left of the stairs.

POSITION: 【間】あいだ

<Place 1> と <Place 2> の間にNがいます "N is between Place1 and Place2
 
本屋とスーパ­ーの間­に花屋­があります。
There is a flower shop between the bookstore and the superm­arket.