Is there a difference between どのXが〜 and Xの中で、どれが〜?


Is there a difference between saying, for example:

「 **どの** 野菜 **が** いちばん好きですか」

and

「野菜 **の中で、どれが** いちばん好きですか」

To me, they both seem to mean: "Which vegetable is your favorite?", the second
one possibly more literally as "Of the vegetables, which is your favorite?"

Is there nuance I'm missing?




The main difference would be in the **_situation/context_** where each
sentence sounds appropriate.

Let me start with the second sentence, instead of the first, for a good
reason:

> 「野菜{やさい}の中{なか}で、どれがいちばん好{す}きですか。」

This sentence could be uttered (almost) out of the blue. It could be uttered
in a conversation about food or vegetables in general. Both the speaker and
listener know that the 「野菜」 includes **_all_** vegetables that exist.

The first sentence:

> 「どの野菜がいちばん好きですか。」

is a bit different.

It can be uttered in a conversations specifically about vegetables, but
**_not_** in a conversation about food in general. At the very least, you need
to have been talking about vegetables.

In other words, it could only be naturally uttered when both the speaker and
listener's attention is already "focused" on either all vegetables or a
already-selected group of vegetables.

Strictly speaking, native speakers would feel most comfortable uttering
「どの野菜がいちばん好きですか。」 in the latter case where a certain group of vegetables are
either right in front of the listener or has already been discussed.

The problem, as usual, is that if you casually **_translate_** the two
sentences, the important difference would not surface.

For the 「どの～～」 sentence, I might suggest that you use "Which one of
**_these_** vegetables do you like the best?" because that is what it
generally means to us native speakers. We are not choosing from all vegetables
in the first place.




The main difference would be in the **_situation/context_** where each
sentence sounds appropriate.

Let me start with the second sentence, instead of the first, for a good
reason:

> 「野菜{やさい}の中{なか}で、どれがいちばん好{す}きですか。」

This sentence could be uttered (almost) out of the blue. It could be uttered
in a conversation about food or vegetables in general. Both the speaker and
listener know that the 「野菜」 includes **_all_** vegetables that exist.

The first sentence:

> 「どの野菜がいちばん好きですか。」

is a bit different.

It can be uttered in a conversations specifically about vegetables, but
**_not_** in a conversation about food in general. At the very least, you need
to have been talking about vegetables.

In other words, it could only be naturally uttered when both the speaker and
listener's attention is already "focused" on either all vegetables or a
already-selected group of vegetables.

Strictly speaking, native speakers would feel most comfortable uttering
「どの野菜がいちばん好きですか。」 in the latter case where a certain group of vegetables are
either right in front of the listener or has already been discussed.

The problem, as usual, is that if you casually **_translate_** the two
sentences, the important difference would not surface.

For the 「どの～～」 sentence, I might suggest that you use "Which one of
**_these_** vegetables do you like the best?" because that is what it
generally means to us native speakers. We are not choosing from all vegetables
in the first place.

