All JLPT grammar
N5

か

The question particle か is used to form questions in Japanese. It can be used for yes/no questions, alternative questions, and embedded questions.

At a glance

か goes at the end of a sentence to make it a question, like a spoken question mark. It is also used for "A or B" questions and for questions inside longer sentences.

[Polite sentence] + か。
[A]ですか、[B]ですか。
[Plain form] + か + [rest of sentence]

これは本ほんですか。 Is this a book?


How to form it

Add か to the end of a statement. Do not change the word order.

Use Example Meaning
Yes/no question これは本ほんですか。 Is this a book?
With a question word 何なにを食たべますか。 What will you eat?
A or B question 電車でんしゃですか、バスですか。 Is it the train or the bus?
Question inside a sentence どこに行いくか教おしえてください。 Please tell me where you're going.
Whether or not 行いくかどうかわかりません。 I don't know whether I'll go.

Inside a longer sentence, use the plain form before か. With nouns and な-adjectives, drop だ: 学生がくせいかどうか, 静しずかかどうか.

Examples

  • これは本ほんですか?

    Is this a book?

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The rest of the lesson

When to use it, common mistakes, nuances and a quick check, with spaced repetition to make it stick.

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