どこに / どこで / 誰が
JLPT N5:question word + particle
Question words like どこ (where), 誰 (who) and 何 (what) take whatever particle their role needs, and sit where the answer would go.
How to form it
- The word order does not change. Put the question word where the answer would be: どこに行きましたか — 京都に行きました.
- Choose the particle from the role: どこに for where you go or where something is, どこで for where an action happens, 何を for an object, 何が for a subject.
- A question word as the subject takes が, never は: 誰が来ましたか.
- いつ (when) takes no particle: いつ行きますか.
Examples
どこで昼ご飯を食べますか。
Where will you have lunch?
誰が来ましたか。
Who came?
いつ日本に行きますか。
When are you going to Japan?
Notes
- 何 is read なん before だ, で and の and before counters: 何ですか, 何時. Elsewhere it is usually なに: 何を食べますか.
- To ask which of two, use どちら (casual どっち), not どれ.
Common mistakes
- Using どこに for where an action happens. Say どこで食べますか.
- Putting は after 誰. Say 誰が.
- Adding に to いつ. Say いつ来ますか, not いつに.