Japanese phrase
これは誰のですか？ ko re wa dare no de su ka
Meaning
Whose is this?
When to use it
Asks who owns an object. It is a polite everyday question used when the owner is not known.
Example dialogue
えんぴつが落ちていました。これは誰のですか？ e n pi tsu ga o chi te i ma shi ta ko re wa dare no de su ka
A pencil was lying here. Whose is this?
私のです。 watashi no de su
It is mine.