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 Interrogatives & Modifying Suffices.  Japanese is said to be vague, and I wouldn't disagree too much.  However, it is also very structure like greek and latin the way prefixes and suffices modify word.  After I made the following chart, I was able to get a better understanding of how structured it is and really how much easy it can be.  Also see notes at the end.

 

 

Chart 1:  Interrogatives & Modifying Suffices

(These are one word.  Any spaces are added for clarity)

 

 

も (pos)

SEE: note below

も (neg)

にも (neg)

に means to.

でも (pos)

 

何処

どこ

unknown place;

where

何処 か

どこか

someplace

何処 も

どこも

all places

every place

everywhere

何処 も ......ない

どこも ......ない

not all places

nowhere

何処にも----ない

どこ にも----ない

not (to) anywhere

(to) nowhere

 

何処でも

どこでも

anywhere

wherever

 

 

どこまで &  どこから

unknown

 destination & origin

NM NM NM NM NM

 

なに

unknown thing;

what

何か

なにか or なんか

something

See: note

not generally used

何も.......ない

なにも.......ない

not "all things"

nothing

 

NM

なんでも

anything,

Whatever

 

 

何れ

どれ

unknown choice

(3 or more)which

NM

doremo

all the choices

 

See note below.

doremo...nai

Not "all of the choices"

None of the choices

NM

どちらでも

whichever choice,

any choice;  &

whichever way

anyway

 

何方

どちら

unknown choice of 2

or unknown direction;

which / which way

NM

 dochiramo

both choices / directions

 

ALSO:  both; either; any; all; every

dochira mo ...nai

Not "both of the choices"

Neither of the choices

 

 

NM  

 

誰か

だれ

unknown person;

who

誰か

だれか

someone

誰も

だれも

everyone

 

ALSO: anyone

誰も.......ない

だれも.......ない

not anyone,

no one

だれにでも

between us, anybody and everybody; with the best of them; as the next fellow

も  でも

だれ  でも

anyone; anybody; everyone; everybody; whoever

 

何時

いつ

unknown time;

when

何時 

 いつ 

sometime

 

Note:  sometime.  No "s" at the end.

何時  も

Usually kana:  いつ  も

every time

always

何時 も.....ない

いつ も.....ない

never

 

Conceptually:

"usually don't" but perhaps not used this way.

 

NM

何時  で

いつ  でも

(at) any time; always; at all times; whenever

 

何回

なんかい

unknown # of times;

how many times?

 

Also:  Has a "how often feel"  See note below.

何回  か

なんか  いか

a few times

何回  も

なんかい  も

time and time again

 

Also:  "over and over"

NM

NM

NM

 

何度

なんど

unknown # of times;

how many times?

何度  か

なんど  か

several times; many times

何度  も

なんど  も

many times over; often

NM

Note:  ichidomo means "never" see not below.

NM

何度  でも

なんど  でも

any number of times

 

幾つ

いくつ usually kana only

 unknown  amount of "tsu"

how many,

       
 

幾ら

ikura

how much; how many

 

         

 

いくにち

unknown number of days

what day (of month)?

 

 

     

 

 

Notes: 

  1. One note about the chart.  Native speaker will might hear you say or try to use "dokomo" not in a negative sentence and say that is not right.  This is because 99.999% of the time it is used that what and if you wouldn't want to use it that way there is a easier and perhaps better choice of word to use.  That said "dokomo" means everywhere even if most people never use it that way.

  2. 何か mean something and is generally kanji.  It is also slang for "things like ...; or something like that ... (often derogatory) " and if written is in kana - なんか.  As in  "Mou iiwake nanka kikitakunai ne.  (I don't want to hear another ?%^% excuse - ne! - you go that!" or "nanka ii kuruma jyanai. (that's some car you have...not!) .

  3. "mo" completely negates unknown place hence meaning everywhere.

  4. どれもこれも means each and every; all

  5. Kai and Do are counter.  Henne Nankai and Nando and "counter questions" and have the feel of frequency.  Prefixes ar as follow:

  6.  

     

    Kai

    Do

     

    Nan

    question

    marker

    nankai

    *  how many times?

    *  how many times in a specific time frame.  i.e. isshuukan ni.....  Hence, a "how often feel"

     

     

    sho

    Shokai - first time

     

     

    sen

    Sen Kai - last time

     

     

    ji

    Ji kain - next time

     

     

    every time

    Mai kai - every time

     

      one more time   mouich do - one more time
      ichi....mo   ichido mo - never.  Lit. "not one time"  used in negative sentences. 

     

    ni....to

     

    nidoto - never again.  Lit. "not a second time.  used in negative sentences. 

 

 

 

 
 
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