A2 Questions & Negation 18 min read かんたん

誰のもの?所有を尋ねる (Whose)

「Whose」の後に名詞を続けて、物の持ち主をはっきり尋ねるための魔法の言葉です。これは「所有」を尋ねる時に使う「質問」の「ツール」ですよ。

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).
Whose + 📦 (Noun) + ❓

Overview

ジムのバッグの中で、なくした片方(かたほう)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。
パーティーにいて、ポツンと置かれたピザを見つけたところを想像してみて。食べたいけど、マナーは守りたいよね。そんなとき、部屋のみんなに聞くはず。「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 myyourhisher 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

1
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:
2
魔法の言葉 Whose から始める。
3
名詞(所有されているモノ)を加える:phonecoffeedog など。
4
動詞 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。
5
指示代名詞を加える:thisthatthesethose
6
Form | Example | Translation
7
--- | --- | ---
8
Singular | Whose bag is this? | これ、だれのバッグ?
9
Plural | Whose keys are these? | これら、だれの鍵?
10
No Noun (Context) | Whose is that? | あれ、だれの?
11
With a Subject | Whose car are you driving? | 君、だれの車を運転してるの?
12
他の動詞と一緒に使うこともできるけど、初心者には isare 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

所有者のミステリーがあるときはいつでも 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?)」
Politeness Levels:
  • 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

英語の歴史の中でNo.1の間違いは、whosewho'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?)」
もしその言葉を 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。
間違い: "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)。
もう一つの間違いは、名詞を忘れちゃうこと。モノを指差しているなら省けるけど、含めておいたほうが安全だよ。
それから、複数形にも注意。
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)」
Memory Trick:
whose の最後にある se を「秘密(ひみつ)存在(そんざい)(Secret Entity)」と考えてみて。君は、そのモノに(ぞく)する秘密(ひみつ)存在(そんざい)(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

Q

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。

Q

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。

Q

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。

Q

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(てんさい)

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.

1

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?”

2

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?”

3

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

Reference table for 誰のもの?所有を尋ねる (Whose)
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

フォーマル
To whom does this mobile device belong?

To whom does this mobile device belong? (Finding a phone)

ニュートラル
Whose phone is this?

Whose phone is this? (Finding a phone)

カジュアル
Whose is this?

Whose is this? (Finding a phone)

スラング
Yo, whose phone?

Yo, whose phone? (Finding a phone)

所有のカテゴリー

Whose

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

Whose
Possession 誰かの持ち物
Whose bag is this? このバッグは誰の物ですか?
Who's
Contraction Who + is の短縮形
Who's at the door? ドアにいるのは誰ですか?

動詞の選び方

1

オブジェクトは単数形ですか?

YES
「is this」または「is that」を使います
NO
複数形に進みます
2

オブジェクトは複数形ですか?

YES
「are these」または「are those」を使います
NO ↓

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

1

Whose pen is this?

2

Whose bag is that?

3

Whose is this?

4

Whose cat is it?

1

Whose shoes are these?

2

Whose phone is ringing?

3

Whose car did you take?

4

Whose turn is it to cook?

1

Whose idea was it to come here?

2

I don't know whose keys these are.

3

Whose signature do we need on this form?

4

Whose advice should I follow?

1

Whose interests are they really protecting?

2

Whose fault do you think it was?

3

Whose side are you on in this argument?

4

Whose house are we staying at in London?

1

Whose is the responsibility for the climate crisis?

2

Whose was the hand that wrote these lines?

3

Whose authority are you acting under?

4

Whose legacy will be most enduring?

1

Whose is the voice that cries out in the wilderness?

2

Whose, if not ours, is the duty to intervene?

3

Whose very existence is a testament to survival?

4

Whose was the genius that conceived this plan?

間違えやすい

Whose: Asking About Possession Who's vs Whose

They sound identical (/huːz/), leading to frequent spelling errors.

Whose: Asking About Possession Which vs Whose

Both can precede a noun, but one asks for identity/choice and the other for ownership.

Whose: Asking About Possession Whose vs Of Whom

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?

Using 'who' instead of 'whose' asks if the book is a person.

Whose is that car?

Whose car is that?

While not strictly wrong, putting the noun after 'whose' is more natural.

Whose this?

Whose is this?

Forgetting the verb 'to be'.

Who's bag is this?

Whose bag is this?

Using the contraction 'who is' instead of the possessive.

Whose are these book?

Whose books are these?

Mixing singular and plural forms.

Whose did you see car?

Whose car did you see?

Separating 'whose' from its noun in a question.

Whose is the pen?

Whose pen is it?

Using 'the' instead of a possessive structure.

The man who's car is red.

The man whose car is red.

Confusing the relative pronoun with the contraction.

Whose of these is yours?

Which of these is yours?

Using 'whose' when 'which' is required for selection.

I wonder whose is it.

I wonder whose it is.

Incorrect word order in indirect questions.

A company who's reputation is good.

A company whose reputation is good.

Failing to use 'whose' for inanimate objects/organizations.

Whose ever it is, return it.

Whosever it is, return it.

Incorrect spelling of the compound pronoun.

Whose did they say it was?

Whose did they say it was?

This is actually correct, but learners often doubt it.

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

Lost and Found constant

Whose umbrella is this? It was left in the lobby.

Office Meetings very common

Whose turn is it to take the minutes?

Social Media common

Whose dog is this? Found near Main St.

Travel/Airport occasional

Whose bag is this? Please do not leave luggage unattended.

Splitting a Bill very common

Whose is the extra large pizza?

Police/Legal occasional

Whose vehicle was involved in the collision?

⚠️

「Who's」の罠

「Who's phone」とは書かないでくださいね。「Who is phone」と言えないなら、「Whose」を使うべきです。「Never write 'Who's phone'. If you can't say 'Who is phone', you must use 'Whose'.」
🎯

名詞を省略する

もしあなたがその物を持っていて、みんなが見ているなら、もっと早く言うために「Whose is this?」だけでOKです。「If you are holding the object and everyone sees it, you can just say 'Whose is this?' to be faster.」
💬

丁寧さの確認

「Whose is this?」と聞くのは、とても丁寧な言い方です。日常生活で「To whom does this belong?」のような難しいフレーズは必要ありません。「Asking 'Whose is this?' is perfectly polite. You don't need fancy phrases like 'To whom does this belong?' in daily life.」

Smart Tips

Always do the 'Who is' check. If 'Who is' fits, use 'Who's'. If not, use 'Whose'.

Who's car is that? Whose car is that?

Remember to use 'are' even if it's just one pair of glasses.

Whose glasses is this? Whose glasses are these?

Put the noun immediately after 'Whose'.

Whose is that phone? Whose phone is that?

Don't be afraid to use 'whose' for non-humans. It's perfectly correct.

The house of which the roof is red. The house whose roof is red.

発音

/huːz/

Homophones

'Whose' and 'Who's' are pronounced exactly the same: /huːz/.

Whose book is this? (Falling tone)

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

OwnershipPossessionBelongingOwnerPropertyInterrogative

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

You find a mysterious bag at the park. Write about how you try to find whose it is.
Describe a famous person whose life you find interesting.
Write about a time you took something by mistake. Whose was it?
If you could live in anyone's house for a week, whose would it be and why?

よくある間違い

Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解

Test Yourself

正しい単語で空欄を埋めてください。

___ glasses are these on the table?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose
メガネの持ち主を尋ねるには「Whose」を使います。「Who's」は「who is」という意味なので、ここでは意味が通りません。
文法的に正しい文を選んでください。 選択問題

Choose the correct question:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose phone is that?
「Whose」は所有を示し、動詞「is」は指示代名詞「that」の前に来なければなりません。
この文の間違いを見つけて修正してください。 Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Whose keys is those?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose keys are those?
「Keys」は複数形なので、複数動詞「are」と複数指示代名詞「those」を使わなければなりません。

Score: /3

練習問題

8 exercises
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence. 選択問題

___ phone is ringing on the table?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose
We are asking about the owner of the phone, so we use the possessive 'Whose'.
Type the correct word (Whose or Who's).

I don't know ___ coming to the party tonight.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Who's
This means 'Who is coming', so we use the contraction 'Who's'.
Correct the mistake in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Who's keys are these?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose keys are these?
The possessive 'Whose' is needed, not the contraction 'Who's'.
Change the statement into a 'Whose' question. Sentence Transformation

This is Mary's coat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose coat is this?
To ask about the owner of the coat, we use 'Whose coat is this?'.
Match the question to the correct answer. Match Pairs

1. Whose is this? 2. Who's that? 3. Whose car is it?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-It's mine, 2-That's John, 3-It's the red one
'Whose' asks for an owner, 'Who's' asks for an identity.
Select the most natural question. 選択問題

You see a dog in your garden. You ask your neighbor:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose dog is this?
'Whose dog is this?' is the standard way to ask about ownership.
Complete the sentence.

___ idea was it to go to the beach in the rain?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose
We are asking who the idea belongs to.
Put the words in the correct order. Sentence Building

are / whose / shoes / these / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose shoes are these?
The standard order is Whose + Noun + Verb + Subject.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
質問を完成させてください。 穴埋め問題

___ idea was it to order five pizzas?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose
所有の質問を修正してください。 Error Correction

Who's jacket are you wearing?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose jacket are you wearing?
単語を正しい順序に並べ替えて質問を作成してください。 Sentence Reorder

wallet / whose / this / is / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose wallet is this?
文を英語に翻訳してください。 翻訳

¿De quién es este café?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose coffee is this?
正しい複数形の質問を選んでください。 選択問題

How do you ask about plural items?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose bags are these?
以下を一致させてください。 Match Pairs

Match the following:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose phone is this? -> It's mine.
空欄を埋めてください。 穴埋め問題

I don't know ___ car that is.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whose
動詞の一致を修正してください。 Error Correction

Whose socks is these?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose socks are these?
単語を並べ替えてください。 Sentence Reorder

is / umbrella / that / whose / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Whose umbrella is that?
人物の身元に関する質問はどれですか? 選択問題

Identify the non-possession question:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Who's the new boss?

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

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish low

¿De quién?

English uses one word; Spanish uses a phrase.

French low

À qui / De qui

French uses prepositions (à/de) while English does not.

German high

Wessen

Very similar, but German has more complex case endings for the following nouns.

Japanese moderate

だれの (Dare no)

Japanese word order puts the verb at the very end.

Arabic low

لمن (Li-man)

Arabic uses a 'To + Who' construction.

Chinese moderate

谁的 (Shéi de)

Chinese does not use 'do-support' or inversion in questions.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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