誰のもの?所有を尋ねる (Whose)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'Whose' to find out who owns something; it's the possessive cousin of 'Who'.
- Use 'Whose' + Noun to ask about an object (e.g., 'Whose phone is this?')
- Use 'Whose' alone as a pronoun (e.g., 'Whose is this?')
- Never confuse 'Whose' with 'Who's' (Who is/has).
Overview
AirPod を見つけて、どうしてここにあるんだろうって不思議に思ったことない?それを手に取って、すぐにこう思うはず。「これ、whose(だれの)AirPod?」って。このたった一つの言葉が、持ち主探しのミステリーを解くためのパスポートになるんだ。だれが何を持っているのかを知るための究極のツール。カフェにジャケットを忘れた友達を探しているときでも、バズったミームをだれが投稿したのか気になるときでも、whose は文章のヒーローだよ。発音は who's とまったく同じだから、多くの人がはまっちゃう罠なんだけどね。でも大丈夫。二度とその文法のハードルでつまずかないように、しっかりマスターしていこう。シンプルで、パンチがあって、日常生活には欠かせない言葉だよ。Whose pizza is this?(これ、だれのピザ?)」これが所有を尋ねる質問の基本だよ。whose は、所有について尋ねるために使われる疑問詞なんだ。モノと人を結びつける役割を持っているよ。質問の中で my、your、his、her などの言葉の代わりになるんだ。ちょっとした探偵になったような気分だね。モノがあって、その持ち主を探しているわけだから。物理的なモノだけじゃなく、デジタルファイルや、抽象的なアイデアにも使えるよ。ごちゃごちゃしたグループチャットを見て「Whose idea was this?(これ、だれのアイデア?)」って思ったことがあるなら、もうすでに使ってるってこと!現代の会話にぴったりフィットする、万能な単語なんだ。Netflix のアカウントから Uber の乗車まで、whose は「僕のモノ、君のモノ」っていう世界をナビゲートするのを助けてくれるよ。How This Grammar Works
whose は「所有疑問代名詞」として機能するよ。まあ、難しい言い方だけど、要するに「モノについて聞くための疑問詞」ってこと。普通は名詞のすぐ前に置かれるんだ。この名詞が、所有されているモノ。Whose + [名詞] のペアで考えよう。「Whose is?」だけじゃ、何のことだか伝わらないからね。アイテムを具体的に言う必要があるんだ。でも、もしみんなが同じモノを見ているなら、名詞を省くこともできるよ。鍵の束を手に持っているなら、シンプルに「Whose are these?(これ、だれの?)」って聞けるんだ。who と似たような働きをするけど、who が「人」を特定するのに対して、whose はその人の「所有物」を特定するよ。「あの男の人はだれ?(Who is that guy?)」と聞くのと、「あの男の人が運転している車はだれのもの?(Whose car is that guy driving?)」と聞くのの違いだね。一つは正体について、もう一つは彼のポケットにある鍵についての質問だよ。覚えておいて、whose はいつも「持ち主」を探しているのであって、ただの「人」を探しているわけじゃないんだ。Formation Pattern
whose を使った質問を作るのには、特定のリズムがあるよ。作り方はこんな感じ:
Whose から始める。
phone、coffee、dog など。
to be を加える:一つのモノなら is、たくさんあるなら are を使う。
this、that、these、those。
is と are が一番一般的だよ。例えば、「Whose team won the game?(どっちのチームが試合に勝ったの?)」も完璧に機能する。とにかく、whose と名詞は親友みたいに近くに置いておこう。
When To Use It
whose を使おう。- 遺失物:バスで財布を見つけた。「
Whose wallet is this?(これ、だれの財布?)」 - ソーシャルメディア:フィードで写真を見た。「
Whose dog is in this post?(この投稿に写ってる犬、だれの?)」 - テック系の問題:だれかがテレビにキャストしている。「
Whose Netflix account are we using?(だれのNetflixアカウントを使ってるんだっけ?)」 - 食べ物:オフィスに出前が届いた。「
Whose Thai food is this?(これ、だれのタイ料理?)」 - グループでの決定:「
Whose turn is it to pay for the Uber?(Uberの代金を払うの、だれの番?)」
- Informal:
Whose is this?(友達や家族にぴったり)。 - Neutral:
Whose laptop is this?
(仕事や学校で使いやすい)。 - Formal:
To whom does this belong?
(19世紀の小説みたいな響き。冗談で言うか、超お上品ぶる時以外は避けたほうがいいよ)。
Common Mistakes
whose と who's を混同すること。発音はまったく同じだから、耳は頼りにならないよ。頭を使わなきゃ。Who's=Who isまたはWho has。例:「Who's coming to the party?(だれがパーティーに来るの?)」Whose= 所有。例:「Whose party is it?(それ、だれのパーティー?)」
who is に置き換えられるなら、who's を使おう。意味が通じなくなっちゃうなら、whose だね。Who's backpack is on the floor?" (これは「だれはバックパックです…」という意味になっちゃって、人間がバックパックになっちゃうから、すごく変だよね)。Whose books is this? とは言わないように。これは文法犯罪だよ。 Whose books are these? を使おう。Contrast With Similar Patterns
Whose vs. Who:Who は主語を尋ねる。「Who broke the vase?(だれが花瓶を割ったの?)」Whose は持ち主を尋ねる。「Whose vase did you break?(だれの花瓶を割ったの?)」Whose vs. Which:Which はグループの中から選ぶように促す。「Which phone is yours?(どっちのスマホが君の? 青いほう? それとも黒いほう?)」Whose はだれのものかを尋ねる。「Whose phone is that?(あれ、だれのスマホ? マイクのだよ)」whose の最後にある se を「秘密の存在(Secret Entity)」と考えてみて。君は、そのモノに属する秘密の存在(持ち主)を探しているんだ。あるいは、もっとシンプルなのがよければ、Whose には Possess-ive(所有の)みたいに se があるって覚えるとか! まあ、ちょっと無理やりだけど、頭に残ればそれでOK!Quick FAQ
動物にも whose を使える?
もちろん! 「Whose cat is scratching the sofa?(ソファをひっかいてるの、だれの猫?)」は完璧。ペットは家族の一員だけど、文法的には「所有されている」ものなんだ。
物理的じゃないものにも whose は使える?
うん。「Whose idea was it to go hiking in the rain?(雨の中ハイキングに行こうなんて言い出したのは、だれのアイデア?)」アイデアだって所有されるものなんだ。
文の最後に whose を置いても大丈夫?
ダメだよ、すごく中途半端に聞こえちゃう。「The phone is whose?」は話し言葉で強調するために技術的には可能だけど、標準的じゃない。文頭に置くようにしよう。
whose は質問のためだけの言葉?
このレッスンでは、そう! 文章をつなげる役割(関係代名詞)としても使えるんだけど、まずは質問をマスターしよう。一歩ずつ進んでいこう、天才!
3. Whose in Questions
| Structure | Example | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
Whose + Singular Noun
|
Whose coat is this?
|
Asking about one item
|
|
Whose + Plural Noun
|
Whose coats are these?
|
Asking about multiple items
|
|
Whose + Pronoun
|
Whose is it?
|
When the noun is already known
|
|
Whose + Noun + Aux
|
Whose car did you drive?
|
Using past/future tenses
|
The 'Whose' vs 'Who's' Trap
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Whose
|
Possessive (Ownership)
|
Whose book is this?
|
|
Who's
|
Who is / Who has
|
Who's coming to the party?
|
Meanings
An interrogative word used to ask about the person or thing that possesses or is associated with something.
Interrogative Determiner
Placed directly before a noun to ask about its owner.
“Whose car are we taking to the party?”
“Whose idea was it to go hiking?”
Interrogative Pronoun
Used alone when the noun is already understood from context.
“I found a jacket. Whose is it?”
“There are two pens here. Whose is the blue one?”
Relative Pronoun (Introduction)
Used to link a person to an object in a descriptive sentence.
“That is the man whose car was stolen.”
“I know a girl whose father is a pilot.”
Reference Table
| ターゲット | 構造 | 例文の質問 | よくある答え |
|---|---|---|---|
|
単数形
|
Whose + [Noun] + is this?
|
Whose jacket is this?
|
It's Sarah's.
|
|
複数形
|
Whose + [Noun] + are these?
|
Whose shoes are these?
|
They are mine.
|
|
抽象的な概念
|
Whose + [Noun] + was it?
|
Whose idea was that?
|
It was Mark's idea.
|
|
名詞なし (指差す時)
|
Whose is [Demonstrative]?
|
Whose is that?
|
That's the teacher's.
|
|
主語がある場合
|
Whose + [Noun] + do you have?
|
Whose pen do you have?
|
I have Leo's pen.
|
|
デジタルアイテム
|
Whose + [Noun] + is that?
|
Whose post is that?
|
It's a viral post.
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
To whom does this mobile device belong? (Finding a phone)
Whose phone is this? (Finding a phone)
Whose is this? (Finding a phone)
Yo, whose phone? (Finding a phone)
所有のカテゴリー
物理的な物
- Phone スマートフォン
- Keys 家の鍵
抽象的なアイデア
- Idea 考え・計画
- Turn 順番・順序
デジタルコンテンツ
- Post ソーシャルメディアの投稿
- Account アプリのプロフィール
Whose と Who's の比較
動詞の選び方
オブジェクトは単数形ですか?
オブジェクトは複数形ですか?
よく尋ねる物のカテゴリー
オフィス・勉強
- • Laptop
- • Pen
- • Notebook
身の回り品
- • Glasses
- • Wallet
- • Charger
ソーシャル
- • Pizza
- • Drink
- • Seat
レベル別の例文
Whose pen is this?
Whose bag is that?
Whose is this?
Whose cat is it?
Whose shoes are these?
Whose phone is ringing?
Whose car did you take?
Whose turn is it to cook?
Whose idea was it to come here?
I don't know whose keys these are.
Whose signature do we need on this form?
Whose advice should I follow?
Whose interests are they really protecting?
Whose fault do you think it was?
Whose side are you on in this argument?
Whose house are we staying at in London?
Whose is the responsibility for the climate crisis?
Whose was the hand that wrote these lines?
Whose authority are you acting under?
Whose legacy will be most enduring?
Whose is the voice that cries out in the wilderness?
Whose, if not ours, is the duty to intervene?
Whose very existence is a testament to survival?
Whose was the genius that conceived this plan?
間違えやすい
They sound identical (/huːz/), leading to frequent spelling errors.
Both can precede a noun, but one asks for identity/choice and the other for ownership.
Learners often try to translate 'Of whom' directly from their native language.
よくある間違い
Who is this book?
Whose book is this?
Whose is that car?
Whose car is that?
Whose this?
Whose is this?
Who's bag is this?
Whose bag is this?
Whose are these book?
Whose books are these?
Whose did you see car?
Whose car did you see?
Whose is the pen?
Whose pen is it?
The man who's car is red.
The man whose car is red.
Whose of these is yours?
Which of these is yours?
I wonder whose is it.
I wonder whose it is.
A company who's reputation is good.
A company whose reputation is good.
Whose ever it is, return it.
Whosever it is, return it.
Whose did they say it was?
Whose did they say it was?
文型パターン
Whose ___ is this?
Whose ___ are these?
Whose ___ did you ___?
I don't know whose ___ it is.
Real World Usage
Whose umbrella is this? It was left in the lobby.
Whose turn is it to take the minutes?
Whose dog is this? Found near Main St.
Whose bag is this? Please do not leave luggage unattended.
Whose is the extra large pizza?
Whose vehicle was involved in the collision?
「Who's」の罠
名詞を省略する
丁寧さの確認
Smart Tips
Always do the 'Who is' check. If 'Who is' fits, use 'Who's'. If not, use 'Whose'.
Remember to use 'are' even if it's just one pair of glasses.
Put the noun immediately after 'Whose'.
Don't be afraid to use 'whose' for non-humans. It's perfectly correct.
発音
Homophones
'Whose' and 'Who's' are pronounced exactly the same: /huːz/.
Question Intonation
In 'Whose' questions, the voice usually goes down at the end.
Falling Intonation
Whose ↘ car is that?
Standard information-seeking question.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Whose has an 'e' for 'Everything belongs to me!'
視覚的連想
Imagine a giant question mark holding a suitcase. The suitcase has a tag that says 'WHOSE?' on it. This reminds you that 'whose' is always looking for the owner of an object.
Rhyme
Whose is for the things you own, Who's is for the person known.
Story
A detective walks into a room and sees a mysterious hat. He doesn't ask 'Who is this hat?' because the hat isn't a person. He asks 'Whose hat is this?' because he wants to find the owner.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Look around your room right now. Pick 5 objects and ask 'Whose [object] is this?' out loud for each one.
文化メモ
In the UK, you might hear 'Whose is this then?' adding 'then' for emphasis in informal situations.
Americans often use 'Whose is it?' very directly, whereas some other cultures might find it too blunt.
Asking 'Whose is this?' about a gift before it is opened can be seen as impatient; it's better to wait for the card.
Derived from Old English 'hwæs', which was the genitive (possessive) form of 'hwā' (who).
会話のきっかけ
Whose advice do you usually listen to?
Whose style do you like more: Batman or Superman?
Whose house would you like to visit for a day?
Whose job in your family is the most difficult?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
___ glasses are these on the table?
Choose the correct question:
Find and fix the mistake:
Whose keys is those?
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercises___ phone is ringing on the table?
I don't know ___ coming to the party tonight.
Find and fix the mistake:
Who's keys are these?
This is Mary's coat.
1. Whose is this? 2. Who's that? 3. Whose car is it?
You see a dog in your garden. You ask your neighbor:
___ idea was it to go to the beach in the rain?
are / whose / shoes / these / ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises___ idea was it to order five pizzas?
Who's jacket are you wearing?
wallet / whose / this / is / ?
¿De quién es este café?
How do you ask about plural items?
Match the following:
I don't know ___ car that is.
Whose socks is these?
is / umbrella / that / whose / ?
Identify the non-possession question:
Score: /10
よくある質問 (8)
You can use it for both! While it's the possessive of 'who', it is perfectly normal to say 'a company whose office is in London' or 'a book whose cover is torn'.
Both are correct. 'Whose book is this?' is more specific. 'Whose is this?' is used when you are already holding or pointing at the object.
They are homophones. This is just a coincidence of English history. You must rely on context and grammar to tell them apart when listening.
No, it is neutral. It is used in both very casual conversation and very formal writing.
Yes, that is a common alternative. 'Whose is this?' is usually shorter and more direct.
No. If the noun is obvious, you can use 'whose' as a pronoun: 'I found a wallet. Whose is it?'
Yes, as a relative pronoun: 'He is the actor whose name I forgot.' This is a more advanced (B1) use.
Yes! Use 'is' for singular (Whose is this?) and 'are' for plural (Whose are these?).
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
¿De quién?
English uses one word; Spanish uses a phrase.
À qui / De qui
French uses prepositions (à/de) while English does not.
Wessen
Very similar, but German has more complex case endings for the following nouns.
だれの (Dare no)
Japanese word order puts the verb at the very end.
لمن (Li-man)
Arabic uses a 'To + Who' construction.
谁的 (Shéi de)
Chinese does not use 'do-support' or inversion in questions.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Related Grammar Rules
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