Which one should you use?
While どこに行きましたか？ asks "Where did you go?", the default form どこに行っていましたか？ emphasizes the continuous state of being away or the duration of the absence. If you want to ask "Where were you?" (focusing on location/presence rather than the act of traveling), use どこにいましたか？ instead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual settings with friends or peers, you can use several informal versions: どこ行ってたの？, どこ行ってたんだよ？ (which uses the casual sentence-ending particles 'n da yo' to add emphasis and familiarity) or どこに行ってたのさ？ (which ends with the colloquial particle 'sa' to add a sense of familiarity). A common informal way to ask the same question among friends or family is どこに行ってたの？
How does it change in a sentence?
Using the どこにいたんですか？ (itan desu ka) construction makes the question sound more like you are seeking an explanation for their absence. If you want to ask "Where have you been recently?", you can say 最近どこ行ってたの？
How do you pronounce it?
doko ni itte imashita ka?
Did you know?
- In Japan, asking どこに行っていましたか？ can sometimes be interpreted as a subtle reprimand if the speaker is a superior, implying that the person was away without permission.
- Japanese speakers often avoid asking どこに行っていましたか？ directly if they suspect the answer is private, preferring to ask if the person was 'busy' instead.
- If you use the phrase どこにいたんですか with a person of much higher status, you might accidentally sound like you are interrogating them or demanding a justification for their whereabouts.
Examples in context
- どこに行っていましたか？Doko ni itte imashita ka?Where have you been?
- さっきまで、どこに行っていましたか？Sakki made, doko ni itte imashita ka?Where have you been until a moment ago?
- こんなに遅くまで、どこに行っていましたか？Konna ni osoku made, doko ni itte imashita ka?Where have you been until this late?
Example conversation
Ren meets Misaki at the office after her long absence.
- 蓮 Ren美咲さん、お帰りなさい。どこに行っていましたか？Misaki-san, okaerinasai. Doko ni itte imashita ka?Welcome back, Misaki. Where have you been?
- 美咲 Misakiありがとうございます。北海道に行っていました。Arigatō gozaimasu. Hokkaidō ni itte imashita.Thank you. I have been to Hokkaido.
- 蓮 Renいいですね！楽しかったですか？Ii desu ne! Tanoshikatta desu ka?That's nice! Did you have fun?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、とても楽しかったです。Hai, totemo tanoshikatta desu.Yes, it was very fun.
