Hey there, my fellow language enthusiasts! Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of Japanese language? Today, let’s unlock the secrets of using the word “where” in Japanese and discover how to ask questions with verbs. So grab your notebooks and get ready to embark on a thrilling linguistic journey!

The Basics: “Where?” in Japanese

To begin our adventure, let’s start with the question word “where.” In Japanese, “where” is translated as どこ (DOKO). It’s as simple as adding ですか (desu ka) after DOKO to ask “where is it?” Let’s take a look at an example. To ask “Where is the restroom?” we would phrase it as “As for the restroom, where is it?” in Japanese:

トイレはどこですか。
Toire wa doko desu ka?

But hold on, my friends! Things get a bit trickier when we want to ask questions with verbs. In this case, we need to know which particle to use with DOKO depending on the verb in our question. Allow me to guide you through the process!

The Mystery of どこで (Doko DE) or どこに (Doko NI)

The key to unraveling this mystery lies in the choice of particle. To ask “Where will you?”, “Where do you?”, or “Where did you?”, we must determine which particle to use with どこ (Doko).

The two main particles we need to consider are で (DE) and に (NI).

So, what’s the difference between them, you ask? When we use どこで (Doko DE), we are asking “where at?” On the other hand, when we use どこに (Doko NI), we are asking “where to?”

Depending on the verb in our question, we need to determine whether we want to ask “where at” or “where to.” Allow me to clarify with some examples.

Case 1: “Where did you buy lunch?”

Imagine this scenario: During lunchtime at work, your co-worker is enjoying his delicious-looking lunch at his desk. Naturally, curiosity strikes, and you want to know where he bought his lunch. So you ask, “Where did you buy (your) lunch?”

In this case, the verb in our question is “buy.” Are we asking “where at” or “where to”?

We are asking “where at,” right? Therefore, we need to mark the question word どこ (Doko) with the particle で (DE) and say どこで ひるごはんを（or ランチを）かいましたか。
Doko DE Hirugohan O (or Ranchi O) Kaimashita ka?

On a side note, you can switch the positions of どこで (Doko DE) and ひるごはんを (Hirugohan O) if you wish:
ひるごはんを（or ランチを）どこで かいましたか。
Hirugohan O (or Ranchi O) Doko DE Kaimashita ka?

In Japanese, word order isn’t as strict as in some other languages. As long as the correct particles are used, you can rearrange the words to your liking without changing the meaning of the sentence. Isn’t that neat?

Case 2: “Where did you go yesterday?”

Let’s explore another example, shall we? Picture this: on Monday at work, you’re having a chat with your co-worker who mentions that he went out and had a fantastic time yesterday. Naturally, you’re curious about his adventures and inquire, “Oh, where did you go yesterday?”

Now, the verb in our question is “go.” Are we asking “where at” or “where to”?

This time, we are asking “where to,” right? Therefore, we need to mark the question word どこ (Doko) with the particle に (NI) and say きのう どこに いきましたか。
Kinoo Doko NI Ikimashita ka?

The most crucial part is done! Now we simply need to add the time expression “yesterday” to the sentence, which is きのう (Kinoo). Since it’s a relative time expression, we don’t need to mark it with the time marker に (NI).

At the end of the sentence, we place the verb “went,” which is いきました (Ikimashita), and add the question particle か (KA). Ta-da! Our question is complete!

Of course, if you prefer, you can switch the positions of きのう (Kinoo) and どこに (Doko NI), and the question will still have the same meaning.

How to Use “Where” in Japanese

To dive deeper into the world of using どこで (Doko DE) and どこに (Doko NI), take a look at the lesson video below. In this video, I explain the concepts in more detail, providing a comprehensive understanding of how to use the question word “Where” in Japanese.

Fecomic is committed to providing you with the best language-learning resources and content. Our goal is to make your journey of discovering new languages as enjoyable as possible. So keep learning, my friends, and until next time!

裕子先生（ゆうこせんせい）Yuko-sensei