これ、誰の？ (kore, dare no?) is one of the most practical everyday phrases in Japanese. It means “Whose is this?” — a simple, natural way to ask who something belongs to. It’s short, casual, and used all the time in schools, workplaces, and homes. Let’s break it down and expand to related forms.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning / Register |
|---|---|---|
| これ、誰の？ | これ、だれの？ | Whose is this? (very casual) |
| これは誰のですか？ | これはだれのですか？ | Whose is this? (polite) |
| これは誰のものですか？ | これはだれのものですか？ | Whose thing is this? (more explicit, polite) |
| 誰のですか？ | だれのですか？ | Whose is it? (asking without pointing) |
Breaking Down これ、誰の？
The grammar is beautifully simple:
- これ (kore) — this (object near the speaker)
- 誰 (dare) — who
- の (no) — possessive particle (‘s)
「誰の」literally means “whose” or “of whom.” The の particle indicates possession. You can drop です/か in casual speech: これ、誰の？ sounds completely natural among friends.
- これ、誰の鍵？— Whose key is this?
- あれ、誰のかばん？— Whose bag is that?
- この本、誰の？— Whose book is this?
Asking About Different Objects
You can combine 誰の with any noun to ask who something belongs to:
- 誰の傘ですか？— Whose umbrella is this?
- 誰の名前ですか？— Whose name is it?
- これは誰のアイデアですか？— Whose idea is this?
- 誰の番ですか？— Whose turn is it?
Answering: Possessive の
The answer uses the same の pattern:
- （私の）です。— It’s mine.
- 田中さんのです。— It’s Tanaka-san’s.
- 知らない。— I don’t know.
- 私のじゃないよ。— It’s not mine.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| これ、誰の？ | 私のだよ。 / 知らない。 |
| この鍵、誰のですか？ | 田中さんのです。 |
| 誰のアイデアですか？ | 佐藤さんのアイデアです。 |
Natural Conversations
あれ、テーブルの上にある財布、誰の？— Hey, whose wallet is that on the table?
え、私のじゃないよ。田中くんのじゃない？— It’s not mine. Isn’t it Tanaka-kun’s?
教室に忘れ物があって。誰のか全然わからなくて。— There was a left item in the classroom. I have no idea whose it is.
落とし物ボックスに入れておけばいいんじゃない？— Why not put it in the lost-and-found box?
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 誰の人 instead of just 誰の or 誰のもの.
When asking about ownership of an object, say:
✅ これは誰のですか？ or これは誰のものですか？
❌ これは誰の人のですか？ (grammatically awkward — 人 is not needed here)
Tip: In very casual speech, you can simply say 誰の？ while pointing at the object — no need for これは or です.
Quick Quiz
Translate these using 誰の:
1. “Whose umbrella is this?” (polite, to a colleague)
2. “Whose turn is it?” (casual, to a friend during a game)
Answers: 1. これは誰の傘ですか？ 2. 誰の番？
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