Explanation
Use "how" at the start when you ask about age, price, amount, or the way something happens.
In "How old are you?", "how old" asks for age, "are" is the be verb, and "you" is the subject. English questions move the verb before the subject, but Japanese often keeps a more regular order. In "How much is this sandwich?", "how much" asks for price, "is" is the verb, and "this sandwich" is the thing you mean. In "How do you get to work?", "do" helps make the question, and "get to work" is the action.
"how" は、年齢、値段、量、やり方をたずねるときに文頭で使います。
"How old are you?" では、"how old" が年齢をたずね、"are" が be 動詞、"you" が主語です。英語の疑問文は、動詞を主語の前に出します。日本語は「何歳ですか」のように、語順を大きく変えないことが多いです。"How much is this sandwich?" では、"how much" が値段をたずね、"is" が動詞、"this sandwich" が聞きたいものです。"How do you get to work?" では、"do" が疑問文を作り、"get to work" が「通勤する」という動作を表します。
Examples
- How are you? 元気ですか？
- How old is your sister? あなたのお姉さんは何歳ですか？
- How much is this sandwich? このサンドイッチはいくらですか？
- How many cups of tea do you want? お茶を何杯ほしいですか？
- How do you get to work? 仕事にはどうやって行きますか？
- How do I spell "library"? "library" はどう綴りますか？
Common Mistakes
Japanese learners often keep Japanese word order and say "How old you are?" The correct question is "How old are you?" In English, the be verb comes before the subject in this question.
日本語の語順のまま "How old you are?" と言ってしまうことがよくあります。正しくは "How old are you?" です。英語の疑問文では、この形では be 動詞が主語の前に来ます。