Hanamaruhanamaru

Ask which one out of many

どれ is the question word for asking "which one" out of three or more things.

JLPTN5
どれ = which one?dore ga ~ desu ka

Which one is [description]?

Example Sentence

Use どれ on its own to ask the listener to pick one item from a group of three or more. It stands alone like a noun and does not attach directly to another noun. To ask "which" while naming the noun, use どの instead, and remember that for a choice between just two things Japanese uses どっち.

Tips and Common Traps

Hana· Key point

Use どれ when you're pointing at a spread of options — a menu, a rack of clothes, a shelf of books. Great for shopping!

Maru· Common trap

どれ is for three or more items. For exactly two, use どっち (casual) or どちら (polite) — using どれ for two sounds unnatural.

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