Where Am I? The Differences Between どこで and どこに in Japanese :Today, we’re going to learn how to distinguish between どこで (doko de) and どこに (doko ni).
Doko has the same meaning as “where” in English. However, depending on the location and situation, you have to choose whether to attach the particle “de” or “ni.”
Contents
Point 1: どこで Dokode
毎日どこで朝ご飯を食べますか？
(Mai-nichi doko de asa-go-han o tabemasu ka?)
Where do you eat breakfast everyday?
The particle de is used here to ask in what location an action takes place.
A: Mai-nichi doko de asa-go-han o tabemasu ka?
B: Makudonarudo de tabete imasu. (I eat at McDonald’s)
The action is eating (taberu); therefore, we use de when asking where the action of eating takes place. When answering, we also use de to state where the action takes place, which is “at McDonald’s.”
Here are some more examples:
A: Doko de hataraite imasu ka? (Where do you work?)
B: Ginkou de hataraite imasu. (I work at a bank.)
A: Doko de Orimpikku ga hirakaremasu ka? (Where will the Olympics be held?)
B: Tokyo de hirakaremasu. (They will be held in Tokyo.)
In the examples above, the actions are working (hataraku) and holding an event (hirakareru [the passive form of hiraku]). We want to know where those actions are taking place; therefore we use de when asking. We also use de when answering.
Doko de can also be used when asking about an occasion or situation that isn’t a physical location.
A: Doko de chiketto ga urarete imasu ka? (Where do they sell tickets?)
B: Raibu no Kaijou de urarete imasu. (They are sold at the concert venue.)
A: Doko de e o kaemasu ka? (Where can I buy the painting?)
B: Tenji-kai de kaemasu. (You can buy it at the exhibition.)
In the examples above, the actions are selling tickets (urareru [the passive form of uru]) and buying paintings (kaeru [the potential form of kau]). Exhibitions (tenji-kai) and concert venues (raibu no kaijou) are types of events/occasions, so we use de when answering.
Point 2: どこに Dokoni aru / iru
駅はどこにありますか？ (Eki wa doko ni arimasu ka?)
Where is the train station?
Here we are using ni instead of de because we are asking where a specific place/thing is or exists. When asking where something is (or exists) there are 2 special verbs, ある (aru) and いる (iru). Aru is used with non-living things (objects), and iru is used for living, breathing things (people, animals, bugs, etc.). Therefore, when using aru or iru, more than likely you’ll be using ni instead of de.
A: Tokyo-eki wa doko ni arimasu ka? (Where is Tokyo station?)
B: Asoko ni arimasu. (It’s over there.)
Tokyo station is a building in a fixed location, and we can be sure that it will be there for quite some time. We want to know where it is; therefore, we ask “doko ni aru?” We use aru because Tokyo station is a non-living thing.
A: Ninja wa doko ni imasu ka? (Where are the ninjas?)
B: Gesuidou no naka ni imasu. (They’re in the sewers.)
Here, we are talking about ninjas, which are living things (well, they would be if they were around, anyway). When asking where a person, animal, or otherwise living thing is, we use the verb iru. The sewers (gesuidou) are in a fixed location, therefore we use ni when stating that the ninjas are in there.
One caveat to the ni aru/iru pairing is that if the subject is an event or occasion, de is used instead.
A: Doko de erekutorikaru parade ga arimasu ka? (Where is the Electrical Parade?)
B: Disneyland de, erekutorikaru parade ga arimasu. (The Electrical Parade is at Disneyland.)
A parade isn’t at a fixed location for very long and is considered an event/occasion. Therefore we use de and follow it with ga aru.
Point 3: どこに Dokoni + verbs
どこに住んでいますか？ (Doko ni sunde imasu ka?)
Where do you live?
Apart from aru and iru, there are some other common verbs paired with ni. These verbs are 住む (sumu [to live]), 座る (suwaru [to sit]), and 置く (oku [to put]).
A: Nihon de, doko ni sunde imasu ka? (Where do you live in Japan?)
B: Osaka ni sunde imasu. (I live in Osaka.)
We use de for Nihon because Japan is in a fixed location. We use “doko ni” and “Osaka ni” because they are paired with the verb sumu.
A: Doko ni suwatte mo ii? (Where can I sit?)
B: Mado no chikaku ni suwatte kudasai. (Please sit near the windows.)
(NOTE: When asking permission for something, you conjugate the verb to the -te form and follow it with “mo ii (desu ka)?”)
A: Kutsu wa, doko ni oite mo ii desu ka? (Where can I put my shoes?)
B: Kutsu bako ni oite kudasai. (Please put them in the shoe box.)
Now that you’ve learned how to differentiate between doko de and doko ni, it’s time to get out there and practice what you’ve learned. Ask a Japanese person directions, where they live/work, or where they usually do certain activities. Start a conversation, and have fun doing it!
Remember, practice makes perfect, so get out there and practice, practice, practice!
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