The Question Marker

Vocabulary

  1. 行く 【い・く】 (u-verb) – to go
  2. 食べる 【た・べる】 (ru-verb) – to eat
  3. 誰 【だれ】 – who
  4. 何 【なに】 – what
  5. どこ – where
  6. いつ – when
  7. どうして – why
  8. なぜ – why (formal)
  9. どう – how
  10. 見る 【み・る】 (ru-verb) – to watch

In polite speech, the question mark is often replaced by the particle か.

Usage

Simply add か to the end of a polite sentence. No question mark is strictly necessary in traditional writing, though the modern period or ? is often used.

行きましたか。 - Did you go?
これは何ですか。 - What is this?
映画を見ましたか。 - Did you watch the movie?

Casual Questions

In casual speech, do not use か to ask yes/no questions. It can sound surprisingly sarcastic or harsh. Instead, just raise your intonation.

食べる？ - Will you eat? ↗
行く？ - Are you going? ↗
分かった？ - Did you understand? ↗

Question Words

  • 誰 - Who
  • 何 - What
  • どこ - Where
  • いつ - When
  • どうして / なぜ - Why
  • どう - How
どこに行きますか？ - Where are you going?
何を食べますか？ - What will you eat?
いつ来ますか？ - When will you come?