Japanese grammar
What does どこか mean? Japanese grammar N5
どこか means somewhere (an unspecified place).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N5 |
|---|---|
| Structure | どこか + で/に/へ + verb どこか + ～ますか |
| Romaji | dokoka |
| Meaning | somewhere (an unspecified place) |
Forming it
| Connection | どこか + (particle, if needed) + verb/noun/adjective |
|---|
How to use it
States that some place exists, but the exact location is not specified.
- The particle still keeps its usual role: the place where the action happens uses 「どこかで」, a destination uses 「どこかに／どこかへ」.
- In a question, 「どこかへ行きましたか」 asks WHETHER you went anywhere; 「どこへ行きましたか」 asks WHERE exactly.
Examples
どこかで財布をなくしました。
I lost my wallet somewhere.
今日はどこかへ行きたいです。
I want to go somewhere today.
Keep in mind
- Same family as 「だれか」「なにか」「いつか」.
Common mistakes
-
Wrongどこで財布をなくしました。
I dropped my wallet somewhere.
Correctどこかで財布をなくしました。
「どこで」 is a question meaning "where". To say "somewhere", you need to add 「か」.
-
Wrong今日はどこかも行きたいです。
Today I want to go somewhere to have fun.
Correct今日はどこかへ行きたいです。
A destination uses 「へ」 or 「に」; 「どこかも」 doesn't exist.
Exam tips
- どこか + particle keeps its normal role (で/へ/に).