In the last lesson, you learned how to make a basic Japanese sentence using:
A は B です。
Now let’s turn that sentence into a question.
The good news?
It’s easy.
Add か to Make a Question
Take the sentence:
これはラーメンです。
Kore wa ramen desu.
This is ramen.
Now add か (ka) to the end:
これはラーメンですか。
Kore wa ramen desu ka?
Is this ramen?
That’s it!
A は B です。
A is B.
↓
A は B ですか。
Is A B?
The か (ka) at the end tells you that the sentence is a question.
Example 1: Is This Coffee?
これはコーヒーですか。
Kore wa kōhī desu ka?
Is this coffee?
You don’t need to change the word order.
Just add か.
Example 2: Is This Sushi?
これはすしですか。
Kore wa sushi desu ka?
Is this sushi?
Same pattern:
これ + は + すし + です + か
Example 3: Is Sarah a Student?
サラさんは学生ですか。
Sara-san wa gakusei desu ka?
Is Sarah a student?
Again, the sentence structure stays the same.
We simply add か at the end.
How Do You Answer?
For now, let’s keep it simple.
はい、そうです。
Hai, sō desu.
Yes, that’s right.
いいえ、ちがいます。
Iie, chigaimasu.
No, that’s not right.
You’ll learn more ways to answer questions later.
Moto’s Tip
English often changes the word order when we ask a question.
This is ramen.
→ Is this ramen?
Japanese doesn’t need to do that.
これはラーメンです。
→ これはラーメンですか。
One little か turns the statement into a question.
Don’t overthink it!
Try It Yourself
Turn these sentences into questions.
1. これはコーヒーです。
This is coffee.
2. これはすしです。
This is sushi.
3. 田中さんは先生です。
Tanaka-san is a teacher.
Answers
1. これはコーヒーですか。
Is this coffee?
2. これはすしですか。
Is this sushi?
3. 田中さんは先生ですか。
Is Tanaka-san a teacher?
What to Remember
Statement
A は B です。
Question
A は B ですか。
That’s it.
You can now make a simple statement and ask your first question in Japanese.
← Previous: Basic Japanese Sentence Structure: A は B です
Beginner Japanese Roadmap
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