Question words
Japanese question words sit where the answer will go, and the sentence ends in か or a rising voice. Add か, も or でも and they turn into something, nobody, anytime.
The basic set
何 (what) is なに, or なん before です, の and counters: 何ですか, 何時. 誰 is who, どこ where, いつ when.
どう is how, and どうやって is how, by what means. なぜ and どうして are why; どうして is more conversational.
これは何ですか？
Reading: これはなんですか？
What is this?
あの人は誰ですか？
Reading: あのひとはだれですか？
Who is that person?
どうして来なかったの？
Reading: どうしてこなかったの？
Why didn't you come?
Which one, how much
どれ is "which one" among three or more, and どの goes before a noun. どちら (casual どっち) chooses between two, and is also a polite "where". いくら asks a price; いくつ asks how many, or how old.
どれがいい？
Which one do you want?
どの電車に乗りますか？
Reading: どのでんしゃにのりますか？
Which train are you taking?
これはいくらですか？
How much is this?
Asking: か or a rising voice
In polite speech, end the sentence with か. In casual speech, drop it and let your voice rise. Either way the word order stays the same.
駅までどうやって行きますか？
Reading: えきまでどうやっていきますか？
How do I get to the station? (Polite, with か.)
コーヒー、飲む？
Reading: コーヒー、のむ？
Want some coffee? (Casual: no か, the voice rises.)
Some, none, any: か, も, でも
Question word + か is "some": 何か (something), 誰か (someone), どこか (somewhere). With も and a negative verb it is "no": 何も (nothing), 誰も (nobody). With でも it is "any": いつでも (anytime), 何でも (anything).
も needs the negative to mean "no": 誰も来なかった (nobody came).
何か飲みますか？
Reading: なにかのみますか？
Would you like something to drink?
今日は何も食べていない。
Reading: きょうはなにもたべていない。
I haven't eaten anything today.
いつでも来てね。
Reading: いつでもきてね。
Come by anytime.
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