Doko: we can use it to make where questions in Japanese

What does “doko” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers use doko normally to mean ‘where’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I’m explaining this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’m explaining how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand doko more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “doko”
• Doko in kanji
  • How to say “where” in Japanese
  • Another example of “doko”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “doko”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of doko.

• doko – 何処 (どこ) : an interrogative pronoun used to mean ‘where’ in Japanese. Depending on the context and situation, this can also be used to mean ‘what place’ or ‘which place’ in Japanese.

Native speakers use this interrogative pronoun to make where questions in Japanese. So, the usage is similar to that of where in English. However, they are a bit different in terms of flexibility. Word orders in Japanese are very flexible, so the Japanese interrogative pronoun does not necessarily come to the beginning of a sentence to make a question.

The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this interrogative pronoun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

Doko in kanji

The kanji expression of doko consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 何 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘what’ in Japanese.
• 処 : a kanji character widely used to mean a ‘place’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that doko literally means ‘what place’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meanings.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of doko through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of doko together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

How to say “where” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after kanojo to make its possessive case, kanojo no, which means ‘her’ in Japanese.
• gakkou – 学校 (がっこう) : a noun meaning a ‘school’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after gakkou to make the subject in the sentence.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of the Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after doko to make it sound polite.
• ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to make the question.

This is a typical usage of doko. In the example, it works in the middle of the sentence to make the where question. Again, but it does not necessarily come to the beginning of a sentence. We can use it in the middle like this.

The sentence-ending particle, ka, is often used in Japanese questions, but not always necessary. Actually, we can make Japanese where questions only by using the interrogative pronoun, doko. It’s worth knowing, I think.

Another example of “doko”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• nippon – 日本 (にっぽん) : a noun meaning ‘Japan’ in Japanese.
• de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after nippon to mean ‘in Japan’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after doko to ask where the listener will go in Japan.
• iki – 行き (いき) : one conjugation of the verb, iku, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of the Japanese masu form. In the example, this is used after iki to make it sound polite.

This is another example of doko. In this example, it works together with the case particle, ni, to literally mean ‘to where’ in Japanese. The combination has been translated as just where, though. Anyway, when we want to make where questions in Japanese, this interrogative pronoun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of doko in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• doko – 何処 (どこ) : an interrogative pronoun used to mean ‘where’ in Japanese. Depending on the context and situation, this can also be used to mean ‘what place’ or ‘which place’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘what place’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meanings. Native speakers use this interrogative pronoun to make where questions in Japanese. So, the usage is similar to that of where in English. However, they are a bit different in terms of flexibility. Word orders in Japanese are very flexible, so the Japanese interrogative pronoun does not necessarily come to the beginning of a sentence to make a question.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.