Conversational Japanese Quiz: Asking Information Questions
10 questions · exam conditions
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Asking Information QuestionsQuestion 1 of 10

Tanaka-san is helping a foreign visitor at a train station. The visitor wants to know the departure time of the next train to Osaka.

Which question most naturally and correctly asks for the departure time of the next train to Osaka in Japanese?

次の大阪行きの電車はどこですか？
次の大阪行きの電車は何時に出発しますか？
次の大阪行きの電車はどんなですか？
次の大阪行きの電車はいくらですか？
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Conversational Japanese Quiz

Conversational Japanese Quiz: Asking Information Questions

Practice Asking Information Questions in Conversational Japanese with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Asking Information Questions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Conversational Japanese.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Tanaka-san is helping a foreign visitor at a train station. The visitor wants to know the departure time of the next train to Osaka.

Which question most naturally and correctly asks for the departure time of the next train to Osaka in Japanese?

  1. 次の大阪行きの電車はどこですか？
  2. 次の大阪行きの電車は何時に出発しますか？ (correct answer)
  3. 次の大阪行きの電車はどんなですか？
  4. 次の大阪行きの電車はいくらですか？
Explanation: When asking for specific information in Japanese, the key is matching your question word to the type of information you want. Think of Japanese question words as "slots" — 何時 (nanji) for time, どこ (doko) for location, いくら (ikura) for price, and どんな (donna) for description/quality. Since the visitor wants to know the departure time, you need a time-asking structure. Option B — 次の大阪行きの電車は何時に出発しますか？— does exactly this. Breaking it down: 次の (tsugi no) = "next," 大阪行きの電車 (Ōsaka-yuki no densha) = "train bound for Osaka," 何時に (nanji ni) = "at what time," and 出発します (shuppatsu shimasu) = "departs." The particle に after 何時 is essential — it marks the specific point in time, making this grammatically precise and natural. Option A uses どこ ("where"), which asks about a location, not a time — it would be appropriate if the visitor wanted to know which platform the train departs from. Option C uses どんな, which asks for a description or quality (e.g., "what kind of train is it?") — it also lacks a noun to modify, making it grammatically incomplete. Option D uses いくら, which asks about price — useful for buying a ticket, but irrelevant to departure time. A helpful study habit: whenever you see a question in Japanese, identify the question word first — it tells you exactly what category of answer is expected and immediately reveals whether the sentence fits the situation.

Question 2

Maria is a foreign exchange student asking her Japanese host mother about the family's weekend schedule. She wants to know who will be cooking dinner on Saturday.

Which of the following is the most grammatically correct and contextually appropriate way for Maria to ask 'Who will cook dinner on Saturday?' in Japanese?

  1. 土曜日の夕食は何時に作りますか？
  2. 土曜日の夕食はどこで作りますか？
  3. 土曜日の夕食は誰が作りますか？ (correct answer)
  4. 土曜日の夕食はいつ食べますか？
Explanation: When forming questions in Japanese, the question word you choose must match exactly what information you're seeking. Japanese has distinct question words for different types of information: 誰 (だれ, dare) for people, 何 (なに, nani) for things, どこ (doko) for places, いつ (itsu) for time, and 何時 (なんじ, nanji) for specific clock times. Maria wants to know which person will cook — so the question word must refer to a person. Option C, 土曜日の夕食は誰が作りますか？, is correct. It uses 誰が ("who" as the subject) paired with 作ります ("to cook/make"), directly asking which person will prepare Saturday's dinner. The particle が marks 誰 as the grammatical subject performing the action — exactly what the question requires. Option A asks "What time will Saturday's dinner be made?" using 何時に, which targets a specific hour on the clock — completely unrelated to identifying the cook. Option B uses どこで, meaning "Where will Saturday's dinner be made?" — a location question, not a person question. Option D swaps 作ります for 食べます ("to eat") and uses いつ ("when"), so it asks "When will we eat Saturday's dinner?" — wrong both in topic (eating vs. cooking) and question word. A helpful strategy: before answering, identify what category of information the English question seeks — person, place, time, or thing — then match it to the correct Japanese question word. Mixing up these question words is one of the most common early mistakes in Japanese.

Question 3

Sophie is meeting her Japanese language partner, Keiko, for the first time at a café. Sophie wants to ask Keiko where she is from.

Sophie wants to ask 'Where are you from?' in a polite, natural way. Which option is correct?

  1. どこに行きたいですか？
  2. どこから来ましたか？ (correct answer)
  3. いつ日本に来ましたか？
  4. どこで日本語を勉強しましたか？
Explanation: When asking about someone's origin or hometown in Japanese, the key is knowing which question word and verb combination expresses "where from." The phrase どこから来ましたか？ breaks down perfectly: どこ (where) + から (from) + 来ました (came, past tense of 来る) + か (question marker). This is the natural, polite way to ask "Where did you come from?" — essentially "Where are you from?" in context. Option B is your answer. Looking at the distractors, A — どこに行きたいですか？ — means "Where do you want to go?" The particle に indicates direction toward a destination, and 行きたい means "want to go," making this completely unrelated to asking about someone's origin. C — いつ日本に来ましたか？ — means "When did you come to Japan?" It uses いつ (when) instead of どこ (where), and it assumes Keiko came to Japan from somewhere else, which would be awkward or presumptuous when meeting someone for the first time. D — どこで日本語を勉強しましたか？ — means "Where did you study Japanese?" The particle で here marks the location of an action, but this question asks about studying Japanese, not about Keiko's hometown or origin at all. A useful tip: pay close attention to Japanese question words and particles together — どこ+から is a fixed combination meaning "from where," while どこ+で means "where (at/in)" and どこ+に means "where (toward)." Recognizing these particle patterns will help you quickly eliminate wrong answers on questions like this.

Question 4

Ben is shopping at a Japanese electronics store. He picks up a camera he likes and wants to ask the store clerk how much it costs.

Ben approaches the clerk and points to the camera. Which sentence correctly asks for the price of the camera?

  1. このカメラはどうやって使いますか？
  2. このカメラはどこで買えますか？
  3. このカメラはいくらですか？ (correct answer)
  4. このカメラはどのくらい古いですか？
Explanation: When shopping in Japan, one of the most essential phrases you'll need is how to ask for a price. The key question word here is いくら (ikura), which means "how much" and is specifically used when asking about cost or price. Recognizing this word instantly signals that a sentence is asking about money. Choice C, このカメラはいくらですか？, translates directly to "How much is this camera?" — exactly what Ben needs to say. The structure follows a simple pattern: topic (このカメラは) + question word (いくら) + ですか. This is the most natural, widely understood way to ask a price in Japanese. The other choices each use different question words that point to entirely different kinds of information. Choice A, どうやって使いますか, uses dō yatte ("how do you use"), making it a question about how to operate the camera — useful if Ben were confused by the controls, but not about price. Choice B, どこで買えますか, uses doko ("where") and asks where the camera can be purchased — ironic, since Ben is already at the store ready to buy. Choice D, どのくらい古いですか, uses donokurai furui ("how old/aged") and asks about the camera's age, not its cost. A helpful study tip: memorize the core Japanese question words as a set — いくら (price), どこ (place), どうやって (method), いつ (time), だれ (person). When a question involves money, いくら is almost always your answer.

Question 5

Kevin wants to invite his Japanese classmate Yuki to a festival. He already knows the festival is on Saturday, but he doesn't know how to get there. He wants to ask Yuki how they should travel to the festival.

Which sentence correctly asks Yuki 'How do we get to the festival?' in Japanese?

  1. お祭りにはどうやって行きますか？ (correct answer)
  2. お祭りはいつ始まりますか？
  3. お祭りはどこで行われますか？
  4. お祭りには誰と行きますか？
Explanation: When asking questions in Japanese, the key is matching the question word to the information you're seeking. This question tests whether you can identify the right interrogative word for asking how something is done. The scenario is clear: Kevin already knows when the festival is (Saturday), so he needs to ask about how to get there — the method of transportation or travel. This points directly to A) お祭りにはどうやって行きますか？, which uses どうやって (dō yatte), meaning "how" or "by what means." The full sentence translates to "How do we get to the festival?" — a perfect match for Kevin's situation. Now let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. B) お祭りはいつ始まりますか？ uses いつ (itsu), meaning "when," and asks "When does the festival start?" — but Kevin already knows the date, so this is unnecessary information. C) お祭りはどこで行われますか？ uses どこ (doko), meaning "where," asking "Where is the festival held?" — this is about location, not how to travel there. D) お祭りには誰と行きますか？ uses 誰と (dare to), meaning "with whom," asking "Who are you going to the festival with?" — this is about companions, not travel method. A helpful study tip: memorize the core Japanese question words as a set — いつ (when), どこ (where), だれ (who), なに (what), どうやって (how). When you see a question like this, identify the target information first, then match it to the correct interrogative.

Question 6

Emma is a tourist in Tokyo. She stops a local passerby and wants to ask how far it is to the nearest convenience store (コンビニ).

Emma wants to ask 'How far is the nearest convenience store?' Which of the following is the most appropriate and natural Japanese expression?

  1. 一番近いコンビニはどのくらい遠いですか？ (correct answer)
  2. 一番近いコンビニはいくらですか？
  3. 一番近いコンビニはどこですか？
  4. 一番近いコンビニはいつ開きますか？
Explanation: When asking about distance or degree in Japanese, the key question word is どのくらい (or どれくらい), meaning "how much" or "how far." This is different from other common question words like どこ (where), いくら (how much money), and いつ (when). Recognizing which question word matches the situation is exactly what this question tests. Choice A — 一番近いコンビニはどのくらい遠いですか？ — is correct. It literally means "How far is the nearest convenience store?" using 一番近い (nearest/most close), どのくらい (how much/how far), and 遠い (far/distant). This is a natural, polite way to ask about distance from a passerby on the street. Choice B — いくらですか — means "How much does it cost?" This question word is for prices, not distances. Emma wants directions, not the price of the store. Choice C — どこですか — means "Where is it?" While this is a reasonable question a tourist might ask, it asks for a location, not a distance. Emma specifically wants to know how far, not just where. Choice D — いつ開きますか — means "When does it open?" This asks about opening hours, which is completely unrelated to Emma's need to find out how far the store is. A useful tip: memorize Japanese question words as a set — どこ (where), いつ (when), いくら (how much money), どのくらい (how much/how far) — and always match the question word to what type of information is actually being requested.

Question 7

Hiroshi is calling a restaurant to make a reservation. The staff member asks him several questions. Now Hiroshi wants to ask the staff member what the restaurant's specialty dish is.

Hiroshi wants to ask 'What is the specialty dish of your restaurant?' Which option is the most grammatically correct and contextually appropriate question?

  1. お店のおすすめはどうですか？
  2. お店のシェフは誰ですか？
  3. お店はどこにありますか？
  4. お店の名物料理は何ですか？ (correct answer)
Explanation: When asking about a restaurant in Japanese, the key is matching your vocabulary precisely to what you want to know. This question tests whether you can identify the correct interrogative word and the right noun phrase for "specialty dish." The phrase 名物料理（めいぶつりょうり） means "specialty dish" or "famous local dish," and 何ですか（なんですか） asks "what is it?" — making option D, お店の名物料理は何ですか？, the most accurate and natural way to ask "What is the specialty dish of your restaurant?" The structure follows a clean pattern: [topic] は 何ですか, which is the standard formula for asking "what is X?" Now let's look at why the other options miss the mark. Option A, お店のおすすめはどうですか？, uses どう ("how/what do you think"), which asks for an opinion or recommendation rather than identifying a specific dish — it's vague and slightly off-topic. Option B, お店のシェフは誰ですか？, asks "Who is the chef?" — completely unrelated to the specialty dish, using 誰（だれ）, the pronoun for people. Option C, お店はどこにありますか？, asks "Where is the restaurant?" — also unrelated, using どこ for location. Hiroshi is already calling the restaurant, so this would make no contextual sense. A useful study tip: memorize the Japanese question words as a set — 何（なに/なん）= what, 誰（だれ）= who, どこ = where, どう = how — and always check that the interrogative word matches the type of information being requested.

Question 8

During a Japanese class, the teacher asks students to practice asking information questions. The teacher gives the following scenario: 'You arrive at a party and see someone you don't know. You want to ask a mutual friend who that person is.'

A student wants to ask the mutual friend 'Who is that person over there?' in Japanese. Which of the following options is grammatically correct and uses the appropriate question word?

  1. あそこにいる人はどんな人ですか？
  2. あそこにいる人はいつ来ましたか？
  3. あそこにいる人はどこで会えますか？
  4. あそこにいる人は誰ですか？ (correct answer)
Explanation: When asking information questions in Japanese, the key is matching the right question word (疑問詞, ぎもんし) to what you actually want to know. Here, the scenario asks you to identify who someone is — so your question word must correspond to a person's identity. The correct choice is D) あそこにいる人は誰ですか？ This sentence literally means "As for the person who is over there, who is it?" The word 誰（だれ） means "who" and is used specifically when asking about a person's identity. The phrase あそこにいる人 ("the person who is over there") correctly uses いる for animate beings, and the overall structure follows the standard topic-comment pattern with は as the topic marker. Looking at why the other options miss the mark: A) uses どんな人 ("what kind of person"), which asks about someone's personality or characteristics — not their identity. You'd use this if asking "What's he like?" rather than "Who is he?" B) uses いつ ("when"), making the question "When did that person arrive?" — completely unrelated to identifying who someone is. C) uses どこで ("where"), asking "Where can you meet that person?" — again, this asks about location, not identity. A useful pattern to memorize: 誰 → identity of a person, 何 → identity of a thing, どんな → nature or characteristics, どこ → location, いつ → time. Keeping these question words organized will help you quickly spot mismatches on exam questions like this one.

Question 9

A student named Alex is visiting a Japanese friend's house for the first time and sees a large painting on the wall. Alex wants to ask 'What is that painting?' to learn more about it.

Alex points to the painting and asks a question. Which of the following best represents a natural Japanese 'what' information question about the painting's identity?

  1. あの絵はいつ描かれましたか？
  2. あの絵は誰が描きましたか？
  3. あの絵は何ですか？ (correct answer)
  4. あの絵はどうですか？
Explanation: When asking a "what" question in Japanese to identify something, you need the question word 何 (なに/なん), which means "what." The structure for identifying an unknown thing is: [topic] は 何ですか？ — literally "As for [topic], what is it?" This is one of the most fundamental question patterns in Japanese, so recognizing it is essential. Choice C, あの絵は何ですか？, fits perfectly. あの絵 means "that painting over there," は marks it as the topic, and 何ですか asks "what is it?" — exactly what Alex wants to know about the painting's identity. This is your answer. Now let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. Choice A, あの絵はいつ描かれましたか？, uses いつ ("when") and the passive verb 描かれました ("was painted"), so it asks when the painting was made — a different question entirely. Choice B, あの絵は誰が描きましたか？, uses 誰 ("who") and asks who painted it — again, a different information question about the artist, not the painting's identity. Choice D, あの絵はどうですか？, uses どう ("how/what do you think"), making it an opinion or impression question — like "How do you like that painting?" — rather than an identity question. A useful pattern to memorize: 何 = what (identity), 誰 = who, いつ = when, どう = how/what do you think. On questions asking you to identify the correct Japanese question word, match the English intention of the question first, then find the Japanese equivalent.

Question 10

Lena is at a Japanese hospital for the first time. She needs to find the pharmacy (薬局, yakkyoku) inside the building and wants to ask a staff member for directions.

Which question should Lena ask to find out where the pharmacy is located inside the hospital?

  1. 薬局はいつ開きますか？
  2. 薬局は何階にありますか？ (correct answer)
  3. 薬局はどこですか？
  4. 薬局はいくらですか？
Explanation: When asking for directions inside a building in Japanese, the key is choosing a question word that targets location — and more specifically, a location within a multi-floor structure like a hospital. Japanese has distinct question words for different types of information: どこ (where), いつ (when), 何 (what/which), and いくら (how much). Matching the right question word to your situation is what this question tests. The best answer is B) 薬局は何階にありますか？ This means "What floor is the pharmacy on?" It's the most practical and natural way to ask for directions inside a building, since Japanese hospitals are multi-story and staff will typically respond with a floor number (e.g., 3階, "third floor"). It uses 何階 (なんがい, "which floor") combined with にあります ("is located at"), making it precise and contextually appropriate. A) 薬局はいつ開きますか？ means "What time does the pharmacy open?" — useful if you're worried about hours, but it tells you nothing about where it is. C) 薬局はどこですか？ means "Where is the pharmacy?" and while grammatically correct, it's more generic. A staff member might give a vague answer, whereas asking specifically about the floor (何階) invites a clear, actionable response — making B the stronger choice in a hospital setting. D) 薬局はいくらですか？ means "How much is the pharmacy?" which doesn't even make sense in this context. As a study tip, memorize the core question words and what information each one asks for — confusing どこ, いつ, and いくら is one of the most common beginner traps in Japanese.