Grammar Info
N5 Lesson 7: 4/13

どの
Which (of three or more), What (kind)

どの precedes a noun, どれ follows a noun

Structure
Demonstrative
どの + Noun
Details
Part of Speech Fixed Adjective
Word Type Independent Word
Register Standard
品詞 連体詞
単語の種類 自立語
使用域 一般
Information
どの is classified as a ‘pre-noun adjectival’ in Japanese. These are a special type of word that do not conjugate, which means that they will always appear in the same form. どの comes from the same family of words as どれ and どこ, and is used for asking about ‘which’ thing someone will choose.
  • どの飲(の)み物(もの)いい
    Which drink would you like?
  • どの色(いろ)でもいい
    Whatever color is okay. (Literally ‘even any of whichever color is good’)
In these examples, we can see that どの may be used to ask a question, or it may also be used in a similar way to ‘whatever’, or ‘whichever’ in English.
Caution
どの is only used when there are 3 or more possible choices, and どっち)・どちら) will be used when there are only 2 possible choices.
  • 赤(あか)青(あお)、どっちいい
    Do you prefer red or blue?
  • どの色(いろ)好(す)き
    What color do you like?
In the first example, the speaker is asking specifically about 2 options ‘red or blue’, so どっち will be used. However, in the second example, since the answer could be any color, どの will be used instead.
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どの寿司屋(すしや)いいです
Which sushi restaurant is good?
[three or more choices]
Play  
どのレストラン行(い)く
Which restaurant will you go to?
[three or more choices]
Play  
どのブランド選(えら)びます
Which brand will you choose?
[three or more choices]
Play  
Online
Japanese StackExchange
Books
Genki I 2nd Edition
Page 63
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 13
みんなの日本語 I
Page 105 [CH 16]