どこか

See also: とこが

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spelling
何処か

Comprised of どこ (doko, “where”) +‎ か (ka, question particle and generalizer).

First cited to a text from 1832.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) どこか [dóꜜkò kà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [do̞ko̞ ka̠]

Noun

どこか • (doko ka) 

1. anywhere, somewhere

   彼(かれ)は、どこかへ行(い)ってしまった。 ― Kare wa, doko ka e itte shimatta. ― He has left for somewhere.

   私(わたし)は、どこかで傘(かさ)を置(お)き忘(わす)れた。 ― Watashi wa, doko ka de kasa o okiwasureta. ― I lost my umbrella somewhere.

   • 1994 April 30 [1991 August 25], Fujiko F. Fujio, のび太(た)のドラビアンナイト [Nobita’s Dorabian Nights] (大長編ドラえもん; 11), 5th edition, volume 11 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 20:

     この町(まち)のどこかにピノッキオがいるんだ。

     Kono machi no doko ka ni Pinokkio ga iru n da.

     Pinocchio must be somewhere in this town.

Usage notes

• This term is often spelled in hiragana.
• This term usually requires particles to specify the direction or the position, such as the English equivalents to “to”: へ (e), に (ni); and “at”: で (de), に (ni).

Derived terms

• どっか (dokka)

Adverb

どこか • (doko ka) 

1. anyhow, somehow, one way or another

   Synonyms: どこやら (dokoyara), 何となく (nantonaku)

Etymology 2

First cited to a 滑稽本 (kokkeibon) text in the early 1800s.

Shift from どころか (dokoro ka) of the same meaning.

Particle

どこか • (doko ka) 

1. Short for どころか (dokoro ka): anything but, far from, not at all