I'm very confused about the role of「の方」in「(あなたは) 何県の方ですか」. Based on what I
know,「の方」can either refer to a person or makes the noun「県」more polite.

If I interpret「の方」as a person, the question would mean "What prefecture person
you are?" I'm not sure if it makes sense in this context.

If it's a politeness marker, I think the whole question makes sense because it
would literally mean "What's your prefecture?"

Which of the two interpretations of「の方」is correct?
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2021-03-18T06:51:34.427
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2021-03-18T16:28:03.167
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question
grammar
What is the role of「の方」in「何県の方ですか」?
何県の方 means 何県出身の方. It means "What prefecture are you from?". ～の方{かた} is used
when we make the people who belong to something such as occupations and
countries polite. For example. 警察の方、アメリカの方 and so on.
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2021-03-18T08:50:22.893
84653
2021-03-18T08:50:22.893
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answer
This 方【かた】 is an honorific version of 人. If you don't mind sounding a little
blunt, 何県の人ですか means the same thing. (の)方 as a polite (or "euphemistic")
filler is always read (の)ほう
([example](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/72923/5010)), and it has
nothing to do with this sentence.

X県の人 means "person from X Prefecture" or "person living in X Prefecture".
Thus, a literal translation of this would be "A person from what prefecture
are you?" or "What prefecture's person are you?". I know these are not
natural, but I don't think it's completely nonsensical, either (correct me if
I'm wrong).
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-18T16:28:03.167
84660
2021-03-18T16:28:03.167
5010
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answer