Interrogatives III: With Particles
We’ve seen the basic interrogatives, the many ways to say how, and other phrases involving this thing. Now it is time to see them used with particles.
With か & も
When a 疑問詞 is followed by the particles か or も, you get expressions for “some…” and “all…” respectively. The expressions with も have positive and negative definitions.
| + か | + も | |
| だれ・どなた | Someone | Either/Everyone/Neither/Nobody |
| なに | Something | Everything/Nothing |
| なぜ | Somehow | X |
| どうして | X | By any means |
| いつ | Sometime | Always |
| どこ・どちら | Somewhere | Everywhere/Nowhere |
| どれ | Every (one/thing) | Anything/none |
| どう | Somehow or another | Much |
か makes the “some”. When も follows these words, it gives a meaning of “all”. In a negative expression, it does the complete opposite. 何も is almost always used with the negative, but it is positive in 何もかも and 何も全て.
Part of Speech Note: These words are either used as nouns or adverbs. Remember that these words are no longer interrogatives.
Examples
1. 仕事も何もかも忘れて、休暇を楽しんだ。
I forgot about work and everything, and I enjoyed a vacation.
Grammar Note: To say “nobody’s”, use “誰のXも”. 誰の車も = “nobody’s car”. “Someone’s car” = 誰かの車. 誰か is an indefinite pronoun. For always, いつもの is right.
2. 彼らの住んでいる所はどこも街道筋に近い。
Wherever they are living, it is close to the highway.
3. 誰かがおいしいクッキーを全部食べた。
Somebody ate all of the delicious cookies!
4. いつも何を考えているのですか。
What are you always thinking about?
5. 彼は本当にいつも親切です。
He is really always kind.
6. あいつはいつも愚痴を零してる。
That guy is always complaining.
Meaning Note: 愚痴を零す is a set phrase meaning “to complain”. Also note that the character 零 is hardly ever used.
7. 犯人をどこかで見たか。
Did you see the criminal somewhere?
8. いつか留学する。
To some day study abroad.
Word Note: The following is wrong: 日本の大学で留学する. 留学する is used with に. So, 日本に留学する is correct. 日本の大学で勉強する is correct, though.
9. 誰もが彼の商才を認めている。
Everyone recognizes his business ability.
10. 私の英語の講座はどれも文法を扱った。
Every one of my English courses dealt with grammar.
11. あなたのコンピューターはどこも悪くありません。
There’s nothing wrong anywhere with your computer.
12. 食べ物が何もない。
I have nothing to eat.
13. 彼女は何も答えませんでした。
She answered nothing.
14. アクセルに何かおかしいところがあります。
There’s something wrong with the accelerator.
15. 今日の彼はどうかしている。
He’s not himself today.
16. 色々どうもありがとうございます。
Thank you very much for everything.
17. 昨日はどうも。
Thanks for yesterday.
18. 今日は魚がどうも食わない。
The fish won’t bite for some reason today.
19. 何かの拍子でケイタイを落としたんです。
By some chance, I dropped my cellphone.
20. 何か趣味はありますか。
Do you have any hobbies?
21. 彼らはワープロにいつも手を焼いている。
They’re always having trouble with their processor.
Phrase Note: 手を焼く is a set phrase similar to “not know what to do/be at a loss with; to be put out”.
With でも・ても
When an interrogative is followed by でも, it creates an “any” indefinite pronoun. These phrases are only used as adverbs. So, you can’t follow them with particles like が.
| なん | + でも | Anything |
| だれ・どなた | + でも | Anybody/anyone |
| いつ | + でも | Anytime |
| どこ・どちら | + でも | Anywhere |
| どれ | + でも | Anything (out of many) |
22. いつでもいい。
Anytime is OK.
23. この棚の商品はどれでも千円です。
Whichever item on this shelf is 1,000 yen.
24. どこでも好きなところへ行く。
I will go anywhere I like.
25. 論評の結果はいつでも悪いことだ。
The effect of criticism is always a bad thing.
26. 彼は何でも高価な物を好む。
He likes anything expensive.
Word Note: 好む is similar to “to prefer”.
Interrogative + ～ても
When a question word is used with ても, it creates a “no matter…” statement.
27. 阿蘇山はいつ見てもきれいですね。
Mount Aso is beautiful no matter when you see it, isn’t it?
28. 僕は何を食べても、太らない。
No matter what I eat, I don’t get fat.
29. どこに行っても僕は君の側にいるよ。
No matter where you go, I will be by your side.
30. 誰の鍵がドアを開けても、僕がいるから君はこの部屋に安全だよ。
No matter whose key opens the door, you are safe in this room because I’m here.
31. 何度見ても面白いです。
No matter how many times I see it, it’s funny.