Lesson 8: なに・だれ・どこ・いつ＋も

N5 · Lesson 8 · 18 min — Learn four question words, then use 「も」 to say "me too"

So far you could only ask "Is it…?". In this lesson you'll learn four question words to ask "What is this?" and "Who is that?". Good news: this is easier than in English. In English you move the question word to the front, but in Japanese you don't. Just put it where the answer would go.

After this lesson, you can:

• Ask "what, who, where, when" with なに・だれ・どこ・いつ
• Understand these questions and answer directly (no はい／いいえ)
• Use 「も」 to say "I'm ~ too" and "both A and B are ~"

Festival Takoyaki Stand

July, the summer festival at the shrine near school. The bear at the takoyaki stand... is Kumata?

Question words go where the answer goes; 「too」 is も. Kumata is Taiwanese too! But his sister is a chick? Rin notes the big shrine lantern.

Words in this lesson

• なつまつり (natsumatsuri): summer festival
• きょう (kyō): today
• あした (ashita): tomorrow
• たこやき (takoyaki): takoyaki (octopus balls)
• たこやきやさん (takoyakiya-san): takoyaki shop (or its owner)
• おかし (okashi): snack, sweets
• くに (kuni): country
• たいわん (taiwan): Taiwan
• たいわんじん (taiwanjin): Taiwanese (person)
• にほん (nihon): Japan
• にほんじん (nihonjin): Japanese (person)
• ひと (hito): person
• いもうと (imōto): younger sister
• がくせい (gakusei): student
• せんせい (sensei): teacher
• ねこ (neko): cat
• くまたさん (kumata-san): Kumata (with さん)

Grammar 1 / 2: Question words

Put the question word where the answer goes, and end with か as usual.

• Four question words: なに = what, だれ = who, どこ = where, いつ = when.
• Put it in the answer's spot: First think of the answer sentence (これは たこやきです). Replace the answer with a question word and add か: これは なんですか.
• なに + です becomes なん: Before sounds starting with t, d or n, like です or の, people say なん instead of なに: なんですか (not なにですか).
• Just give the answer: A question-word question asks for information, not "yes or no". So just say the answer + です.

• これは なんですか。 — What is this?
• あの ひとは だれですか。 — Who is that person?
• これは だれの たこやきですか。 — Whose takoyaki is this? (だれ + の = whose)
• おくには どこですか。 — Where are you from? (お = polite; add it only when asking about someone else's country)
• なつまつりは いつですか。 — When is the summer festival?

Grammar 2 / 2: も

Swap は for も, and it means "also / too".

• も replaces は: わたしは → わたしも. も takes the place of は, so you never say はも or もは.
• Something must be "the same": First someone says "Rin is Taiwanese". If you are the same, you say わたしも たいわんじんです. If it's different, use は.
• AもBも = both A and B: Talk about two people together: りんさんも くまたさんも たいわんじんです。(Both Rin and Kumata are Taiwanese.)
• Works with negatives too: (Rin: わたしは にほんじんじゃありません。) わたしも にほんじんじゃありません。 = I'm not Japanese either. The first sentence must be negative in the same way.

• わたしも たいわんじんです。 — I'm Taiwanese too.
• いもうとも たいわんじんです。 — My sister is Taiwanese too.
• これも たこやきですか。 — Is this takoyaki too?
• りんさんも くまたさんも たいわんじんです。 — Both Rin and Kumata are Taiwanese.
• わたしも にほんじんじゃありません。 — (Rin isn't Japanese.) I'm not Japanese either.