How to Say ‘Which / where (polite) + of’ in Japanese
どちらの
dochira no
[doh-chee-rah noh]
💬 Usage Tip: どちら is a more polite version of どこ when asking where someone is from or referring politely to a place. With の, it sets up "which/where ... from": どちらのしゅっしんですか。
Phrase Breakdown
どちら
dochira
[doh-chee-rah]
which (polite); where (polite)
Polite form meaning ‘which’ or ‘where.’ Often used in questions like どちらですか (Which is it?/Where are you from?).
ごしゅっしんはどちらですか。
Where are you from? (polite)
の
no
[noh]
possessive/linking particle “of”
の links nouns, like “of” or to describe something. どちらの + noun = “which/what (polite) + noun,” e.g., どちらの国 (which country).
どちらの出身ですか。
Where are you from?
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