JLPT N5 Grammar: どちら / どっち (dochira / dotchi) — “Which One” (of Two)

JLPT N5 Grammar: どちら / どっち

Q: What's the difference between どちら and どなた?

どちら = 'which one' (of two) or 'where' (polite). どなた = 'who' (polite, equivalent to だれ).

Q: How do I answer a どちら question?

Use のほうが: 夏のほうが好きです (I prefer summer). Or make a simple choice: これにします (I'll take this one).

“Which one?” (of two) — polite and casual forms

JLPTジェイエルピーティー N5エヌゴ文法ぶんぽう疑問詞ぎもんし「どちら・どっち」解説かいせつ (二択にたく)

⏱️ Study time: 5–7 minutes

どちら (dochira) and どっち (dotchi) mean "which one" — specifically when choosing between two things. どちら is the polite/formal form, while どっち is the casual spoken form. They're essential for making comparisons and choices in Japanese.

🚀 JLPT N5 Warm-up Quiz

Q: Which form should you use in a business meeting to ask "Which do you prefer?"

Answer: A (どちら). どちら is the polite form and is appropriate for business, customer service, and formal situations. どっち is casual and used with friends and family.

Quick Summary

Polite
どちら

Casual
どっち

Meaning
which one (of two)

Example
どちらがいいですか。どちらがいいですか。Dochira ga ii desu ka.
Which one would you like?

📝 Core Patterns

Polite: どちらが + Adjective/Verb ですか

Casual: どっちが + Adjective/Verb (の / ？)

Polite comparison: AとBとどちらが〜ですか

Polite "where": どちら (as polite version of どこ)

⚠️ どちら/どっち is for choosing between TWO items. For three or more, use どれ.

🧠 Need "which" for three or more? See どれ (dore) →

💡 Toggle furigana, hiragana, or romaji for easier reading.

What are どちら / どっち?

どちら and どっち both mean "which one" when choosing between exactly two items. どちら is the polite form used in formal speech, business, and with strangers. どっち is the casual contraction used with friends and family.

For two items: use どちら (polite) or どっち (casual).
For three or more items: use どれ (which one).
どちら also serves as the polite version of どこ (where).

コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃ、どちらがいいですか。こーひーとこうちゃ、どちらがいいですか。Kōhī to kōcha, dochira ga ii desu ka.
Coffee or tea — which would you like? (polite choice between two)

⚡ Common Patterns with どちら / どっち

Pattern	Meaning	Style
AとBとどちらが〜ですか	Which is more ~, A or B?	Polite
AとBとどっちが〜？	Which is more ~, A or B?	Casual
どちらでもいいです	Either is fine.	Polite
どっちでもいい	Either is fine.	Casual
どちらにしますか	Which one will you choose?	Polite (in shops/restaurants)

⚠️ JLPT Trap: どちら also means "where" in polite speech. おお国くにはどちらですか = Where are you from? (polite). Don't confuse this with the "which one" meaning — context determines the interpretation.

Examples & Mini Dialogue

日本語にほんごと英語えいごとどちらが難むずかしいですか。にほんごとえいごとどちらがむずかしいですか。Nihongo to Eigo to dochira ga muzukashii desu ka.
Which is more difficult, Japanese or English?

✅ Classic comparison between two items.

夏なつと冬ふゆ、どっちが好すき？なつとふゆ、どっちがすき？Natsu to fuyu, dotchi ga suki?
Which do you prefer, summer or winter? (casual)

🗣️ Mini Dialogue
A: 赤あかいのと青あおいの、どちらにしますか。あかいのとあおいの、どちらにしますか。Akai no to aoi no, dochira ni shimasu ka.
B: 赤あかいのにします。あかいのにします。Akai no ni shimasu.

⚡ どちら vs どっち vs どれ

Word	Politeness	Number of choices	Example
どちら	Polite / formal	Two	コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃ、どちらがいいですか。 Coffee or tea — which would you like?
どっち	Casual	Two	コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃ、どっちがいい？ Coffee or tea — which do you want?
どれ	Neutral	Three or more	どのケーキがいいですか。→ どれですか。 Which cake? → Which one?

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

✕ Using どちら for three or more choices.

✓ Use どれ when there are three or more options: どれがいいですか (Which one do you want?).

✕ Using どっち in a formal business meeting.

✓ Use どちら for all formal situations. どっち is strictly casual.

✕ 何なんがいいですか when choosing from two items.

✓ Use どちら/どっち for a choice between two. 何 (what) is too open.

JLPT N5 Practice Questions

Score: 0 / 3

1. “Which is more delicious, sushi or ramen?” — choose the correct polite question word.

2. どっち is the ________ form of どちら.

3. For three or more choices, use ________.

🎯 JLPT N5 tip: どちら and どっち are tested in the listening section — you'll hear them when people are offered a choice between two things. どちら is also a polite substitute for どこ (where). Listen for context: if you hear two options, it's "which"; if you hear a location question, it's "where".

Test yourself with a free mock exam →

About the Instructor

Taught by Anup Sensei at Gogaku Language & Training Center in Pokhara. With real Japan experience and a focus on exam essentials, he helps students pass the JLPT with confidence.

⚡ Vocabulary Used in This Lesson

Japanese	Reading	Type	English Meaning
どちら	どちら	Interrogative (polite)	which one (of two)
どっち	どっち	Interrogative (casual)	which one (of two)
紅茶こうちゃ	こうちゃ	Noun	black tea
夏なつ	なつ	Noun	summer
冬ふゆ	ふゆ	Noun	winter
難むずかしい	むずかしい	i‑adjective	difficult

Related Grammar

Frequently Asked Questions

Can どちら be used for more than two choices?

Strictly, どちら/どっち is for two choices. For three or more, use どれ. However, in very polite speech, どちら can sometimes be used for multiple choices as a softer, more formal alternative.

What's the difference between どちら and どなた?

どちら = "which one" (of two) or "where" (polite). どなた = "who" (polite, equivalent to だれ). They look similar but have completely different meanings.

How do I answer a どちら question?

Use のほうが: 夏なつのほうが好すきです (I prefer summer). Or make a simple choice: これにします (I'll take this one).

Continue Learning

Next: のほうが — expressing comparisons.

Learn のほうが →

→ Explore the JLPT N5 Grammar Hub

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