What does “doko” mean in Japanese?
“Doko” is an indefinite pronoun which native speakers use to make “where” questions in Japanese. So, in many cases, it means ‘where’ in Japanese. In this blog post, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to use “doko” properly in conversations. Then, let’s get started!
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Definition and meanings of “doko”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “doko”.
- doko – 何処 (どこ) : an indefinite demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘where’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, it can also mean ‘what place’ or ‘which place’.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
“Doko” in kanji
Below are the kanji characters used in “doko”.
- 何 : a kanji character widely used as an indefinite demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘what’. This kanji character can also be found in other words like “itsu“.
- 処 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘place’. This can also work as a suffix to add the meaning of ‘place’ to its preceding word.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “doko” literally means ‘what place’ in Japanese. So, its kanji concept is completely in line with the 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 meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “doko” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “doko” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to make a ‘where’ question in Japanese
gakkou wa doko desu ka – 学校は何処ですか (がっこうはどこですか)
Where is the school?
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- gakkou – 学校 (がっこう) : a noun meaning ‘school’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after “gakkou” to make the subject word 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 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 its definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to make the question.
This is a typical usage of “doko”. In this example, it works as a part of the widely-used expression, “doko desu ka”, which means ‘where is [someone]?’ or ‘where is [something]?’ in Japanese. This expression is very useful, so should be learnt together with “doko”, I think.
“Doko” can work in a similar way that “where” does in English, but doesn’t have to be placed at the beginning of a sentence. So, we can use it in the middle of a sentence like the example above.
“Ka” is often used at the end of a question, but not necessarily required. So, just inserting “doko” into a positive sentence enables us to turn it into a “when” question.
Example #2: how to make a “where” clause with “doko”
In English, we can use “where” to make a clause in a sentence. In Japanese, we can use “doko” in a similar way. Let me explain how to make a clause with “doko” through the example sentence below.
gakkou ga doko ka wakara nai – 学校が何処か分からない (がっこうがどこかわからない)
I don’t know where the school is.
Below are the new words and particles used in the example sentence.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “gakkou” to make the subject in the clause.
- ka – か : an adverbial particle used to express uncertainty. In the example, this is used after “doko” to express the uncertainty.
- wakara – 分から (わから) : one conjugation of the verb, “wakaru”, which means ‘to see’ or ‘to understand’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the example, this is used after “wakara” to deny its meaning.
This is another typical usage of “doko”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun clause, “gakkou ga doko ka”, which means ‘where the school is’ in Japanese. Like this, we can use it to make a noun clause in a sentence. Also in this regard, it corresponds well to the English word, “where”, I think.
Summary: “doko” in Japanese
In this blog post, I’ve explained “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 indefinite demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘where’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, it can also mean ‘what place’ or ‘which place’. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘what place’. So, its kanji concept is completely in line with the meanings. We can use this to make “where” questions in Japanese as well as “where” clauses.
- doko desu ka – 何処ですか (どこですか) : a widely-used Japanese expression for ‘where is [someone]?’ or ‘where is [something]?’ Japanese native speakers quite often use this, so it’s worth knowing.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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