ここはどこですか？
Koko wa doko desu ka?
The English phrase "where is this?" is translated into Japanese as ここはどこですか？ (Koko wa doko desu ka?)
This phrase is used to ask for the name or location of the place where the speaker is currently located.
What does it mean word for word?
The word どこ (doko) literally means "where".
Which one should you use?
こちらはどこですか？ is formal. これはどこ？ is informal. ここ、どこ？ is an informal way to ask among friends. ここはどちらですか？ is more polite and formal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ここ、どこ？ and これはどこ？ are informal. こちらはどこですか？ is formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase ここはどこですか？, the particle は marks the topic ここ (here) and ですか forms the polite question.
How do you pronounce it?
Koko wa doko desu ka?
Did you know?
- While an English speaker might say 'Where am I?', a Japanese speaker almost always uses the phrase 'Where is this?' (ここはどこですか？) because the subject is the location, not the person.
- The word どちら (dochira) used in the formal version of this phrase literally means 'which direction', reflecting a cultural preference for indirectness over bluntness.
- In Japanese literature and film, when a character wakes up with amnesia, the phrase ここはどこ？ is a classic trope used to signal to the audience that the character has lost their sense of identity and place.
Examples in context
- 一番近いホテルはどこですか？Can you tell me where the nearest hotel is?
- ここはどこですか？Koko wa doko desu ka?Where is this place?
- すみません、ここはどこですか？Sumimasen, koko wa doko desu ka?Excuse me, where am I?
- 地図を見ましたが、ここはどこですか？Chizu o mimashita ga, koko wa doko desu ka?I looked at the map, but where is this?
Example conversation
Hiyori and Daito are exploring a new city and get lost.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、ここはどこですか？Daito-san, koko wa doko desu ka?Daito, where is this?
- 大翔 Hirotoええと、地図を見てみますね。eeto, chizu o mite mimasu ne.Um, let me check the map.
- 大翔 Hirotoここは駅の近くみたいですよ。koko wa eki no chikaku mitai desu yo.It looks like this is near the station.
- 陽葵 Himariよかった！安心しました。yokatta! anshin shimashita.Great! I'm relieved.
