Japanese Grammar: どんな (Donna) – What kind of…?

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Japanese Grammar: どんな (Donna) – What kind of…?
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘What kind of…’ or ‘What sort of…’

🎯 Primary Function

An interrogative word used to ask about the characteristics, nature, or type of a noun.

📋 Grammar Structure

どんな + Noun
Not applicable (followed by a noun)
Not applicable (followed by a noun)
Not applicable (used in questions)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in polite questions with ‘desu/masu’.

😊 Informal Situations

Used naturally in casual speech, often followed by a noun + ‘na no?’.

✍️ Written Language

Common in surveys, descriptions, and introductory literature.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common in daily conversation to start discussions.

💡 Common Applications

Asking for descriptions
Used to ask for a person’s personality or appearance.
Example: どんな人ですか？ (What kind of person is he/she?)
Asking about preferences
Used to inquire about specific tastes or categories of things.
Example: どんな料理が好きですか？ (What kind of cuisine do you like?)
Asking for details
Used to get more specific information about a place or object.
Example: どんな町ですか？ (What kind of town is it?)
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N5 (Beginner)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N5 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N5 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
どんな食べ物が好きですか？
Furigana: どんなたべものがすきですか？
Romaji: Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka?
English: What kind of food do you like?
Example #2
彼はどんな人ですか？
Furigana: かれはどんなひとですか？
Romaji: Kare wa donna hito desu ka?
English: What kind of person is he?
Example #3
よくどんな映画を見ますか？
Furigana: よくどんなえいがをみますか？
Romaji: Yoku donna eiga o mimasu ka?
English: What kind of movies do you often watch?
Example #4
どんな音楽を聞きますか？
Furigana: どんなおんがくをききますか？
Romaji: Donna ongaku o kikimasu ka?
English: What kind of music do you listen to?
Example #5
ふるさとはどんな所ですか？
Furigana: ふるさとはどんなところですか？
Romaji: Furusato wa donna tokoro desu ka?
English: What kind of place is your hometown?
Example #6
どんなスポーツが上手ですか？
Furigana: どんなスポーツがじょうずですか？
Romaji: Donna supōtsu ga jōzu desu ka?
English: What kind of sports are you good at?
Example #7
どんな仕事をしていますか？
Furigana: どんなしごとをしていますか？
Romaji: Donna shigoto o shite imasu ka?
English: What kind of work are you doing?
Example #8
どんな車が欲しいですか？
Furigana: どんなくるまがほしいですか？
Romaji: Donna kuruma ga hoshii desu ka?
English: What kind of car do you want?
Example #9
どんな本を読みますか？
Furigana: どんなほんをよみますか？
Romaji: Donna hon o yomimasu ka?
English: What kind of books do you read?
Example #10
それはどんな犬ですか？
Furigana: それはどんないぬですか？
Romaji: Sore wa donna inu desu ka?
English: What kind of dog is that?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Answers often use adjectives or nouns.
The answer to a ‘donna’ question usually involves an adjective or a sub-category.
Example: A: どんな本が好きですか？ B: ミステリーが好きです。 (A: What kind of books do you like? B: I like mysteries.)
Always followed by a noun.
It functions as a modifier for the noun that acts as the subject or object.
Example: どんな [Noun] + Particle + Verb/Adjective

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ どんなが好きですか？ (Donna ga suki desu ka?)
✅ どんな食べ物 (Donna tabemono)
‘Donna’ must always be followed directly by a noun.
❌ Using ‘Donna’ when asking for a specific name only.
✅ 何の料理 (Nan no ryōri) or どんな料理 (Donna ryōri)
‘Nan no’ asks for a specific name or category, while ‘Donna’ asks for a description.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral and versatile. Its politeness is determined by the end of the sentence.
Social Situations: A standard way to show interest in someone else’s life or opinions.
Regional Variations: Standard throughout Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

どんな (Donna) vs どの (Dono)
‘Donna’ asks for quality/kind, while ‘Dono’ asks for a specific one from a group.
When to use: Use ‘Donna’ for descriptions and ‘Dono’ for picking one.

📝 Conjugation Notes

‘Donna’ is a pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) and does not conjugate. It always appears in this form before a noun.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The ‘nn’ is a nasal sound. Ensure the ‘o’ is short.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Donna’ as ‘Describe’ (D for D). It asks the listener to describe the noun.

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