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I have two sentences:

  1. どれがあなたのペンですか？
  2. あなたのペンはどれですか？

Are there any differences between the two sentences? I've heard that Japanese is a flexible language structure so I'm wondering if they are interchangeable?

kinbiko
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1 Answers1

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Both are 100% grammatical; That is for sure.

There is, however, a slight difference in nuance between the two. It is so slight that I probably would not mention it if I were teaching a beginning or intermediate learner.

Both mean "Which one is your pen?"

The difference is in the main focus.

1) どれがあなたのペンですか？

focuses more on the "which one" part.

2) あなたのペンはどれですか？

focuses more on the "your" part -- in other words, the listener him/herself.