どちら

• Reading: どちら
• Romaji: dochira
• Pronunciation: /do.tɕi.ɾa/

Meaning

Which way; which direction; where; which (of two). A polite interrogative pronoun.

The polite equivalent of どこ (where) and どっち (which of two). Used in formal situations: どちらへ (where are you going?), どちらさま (who are you?), どちらが (which one?). When offering a choice between two options, どちら is standard polite form. Also used as a polite 'where are you from?' (どちらからですか).

Examples

1. どちらがお好きですか。 Which one do you prefer?
2. お国はどちらですか。 Where are you from?
3. どちらへお出かけですか。 Where are you headed?

Usage Guide

Context: polite questions, choices, directions

Tone: polite

Origin & History

From the interrogative 'do' prefix combined with ちら (direction/side). Related to こちら (this way), そちら (that way), あちら (that way, far). The kanji form 何方 literally reads 'what direction.'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal