How to Say ‘Where do they live?’ in Japanese
どこに住んでいますか？
doko ni sun de i masu ka
[doh-koh nee SOON deh ee mahss kah]
💬 Usage Tip: The question word just sits where the answer would go: どこに becomes 東京に in the reply.
Phrase Breakdown
どこに
doko ni
where (in what place)
どこ (doko) means 'where'. に marks the place of living.
どこにいますか？
Where are you?
Words in this phrase
どこ
doko
[doh-koh]
where
場所をたずねる疑問詞。「どこですか」= Where is it? 「どこに」「どこで」など助詞と一緒に使います。
トイレはどこですか。
Where is the restroom?
に
ni
[nee]
in; at; to
A particle showing the place where something is put or exists.
荷物をこちらに置いてください。
Please put your luggage here.
住んでいますか？
sun de i masu ka
do you live?
住んでいます means 'live'. か makes it a question. Let your tone rise gently at the end.
東京に住んでいますか？
Do you live in Tokyo?
Words in this phrase
住ん
sun
[SOON]
live (te-form stem)
Form of sumu 'to live (reside)', changed to connect with -de.
どこに住んでいますか。
Where do you live?
で
de
[deh]
(te-form connector)
Part of the te-form; with iru it shows an ongoing state.
東京に住んでいます。
I live in Tokyo.
い
i
[ee]
to be; ongoing state
Part of the pattern expressing a current included state.
税金もい入っています。
Tax is also included.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite non-past ending
Polite verb ending used in present or non-past forms.
対応したことがありますか。
Have you ever dealt with it?
か
ka
[kah]
question particle
「か」で依頼を質問の形にします。語尾を上げると自然です。
手順を説明してもらえますか。
Could you explain the procedure?
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