"ぎんこうの出口はどちらですか？"
Translation:Where is the bank's exit?
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For anyone confused, どちら can mean both Which one? and Which way? in English.
Think of it as asking for a general direction (Which way…?). This works for both physical and intangible options (Which thing…?). It is essentially a polite way to ask Which <anything>…?.
When used as Which one…?, it's generally for when the are only two options.
E.g.
リンゴと バナナと どちらがすきですか。(Out of apples and bananas, which do you like?).
きたは どちらですか。(Which way is north?).
スミスさんは どちらですか。(Which one is Mr. Smith?)
Sometimes, in a formal setting, "dochira" is used instead of "doko". Both mean where under this particular situation.
If that is the case then would the English translation "which way is the bank's exit," be better?
Good. Duolingo does not recognize this. "dochira" could also be translated "which is" in the sentence---- Which is the exit?
This makes me imagine a situation where you are not inside the bank, but want to figure out where the cash trucks exit so you could rob them. If you simply wanted to know how to enter the bank you'd ask for the entrance.
I always learnt どちらas which one? As in this sentence would mean, which one is the bank's exit? Being said as you point to two doors.
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"Bank's exit" is OK in English, but not "the exit of the bank." Clearest would be "Where is the exit from the bank?" or, "Where is the exit out of the bank?"
Same here, どちらですか literally means "which one" so in this sentence, it shoukd be "which one in the bank exit"
I confess to some confusion on this answer. I assumed that the topic was directions, and that this would mean "which is the exit for the bank". In other words, which exit from the main road. But it seems we are talking about how to get out of the bank?
So is it okay if I just use doko always since it's just much more clearer to me?
It is my understanding that ーちら series has more of a directional meaning while the ーこ is more positional. I think the ambiguity allowed by どちら is more appreciated and "proper". I'd be interested what native speakers have to say
I like that I was able to abuse Duolingo's tile options and put 'Where's the bank exit?' and it still marked it right. Take that Duo!
How is that abusing the system or sticking it to Duo? That combination being marked as right simply means just that: That is one of the accepted sentences in Duo's database for the sentence.
I agree with Slinky656524 - "where is the exit to the bank?" should be accepted. The word "to" is not used in the directional sense here. Rather, it is used as a possessive: it means the same as "where is the bank's exit"
I don't believe "no" (not "to", though that may just have been a typo) even has a directional sense to be used in.
Would "Which way to the bank's exit?" also be acceptable? Duo marked wrong, I know there's no "to" in this sentence but that's how I'd normally ask in english, without specifying "the bank". "Which way to the exit" / "Which way is the exit"?
"Where is the exit to the bank?!", you ask the scared onlookers as you make your (uninformed) escape.
It's always this... You seek for an entrance to the hospital, but for an exit to the bank...
It accepted the kanji 出口, but not the kanji 銀行. Duolingo is being ridiculous!
I tried to report it, but the option to say that they should have accepted my answer wasn't there.