どの

どの is a question word meaning "which" and is used to ask about a specific item among three or more options. It always comes directly before a noun and cannot stand alone – it must modify a noun.

どの vs. どれ

どの and どれ both mean "which," but they are used differently. どれ is a pronoun and stands alone without a noun, while どの is a pre-noun modifier and must always be followed by a noun.

どの vs. どちら(の)

When choosing between two options, use どちら (or どちらの + noun) instead of どの.

When there are three or more choices, use どの.

この・その・あの・どの

どの belongs to the こそあど series of demonstratives:

• この – this (near the speaker)
• その – that (near the listener)
• あの – that (far from both)
• どの – which (question)