どなた
who (polite)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
どなたですか。
どなたですか。
Who is it, please?
あの方はどなたですか。
あのかたはどなたですか。
Who is that gentleman/lady?
どなたが先生ですか。
どなたがせんせいですか。
Which of you is the teacher?
Common patterns
- どなたですか
- who is it, please?
- どなたが
- who (as subject)
- どなたか
- someone
Memory tip
どなた is the polite "who" — pair it with 方 (かた) rather than 人 for extra politeness.
Quick check
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What does どなた mean?