Lesson 2.3: Asking Simple Questions
Goal: Now that you know how to build basic Japanese sentences (Lesson 2.1), it’s time to learn how to ask questions! Being able to ask questions is absolutely essential for having conversations, getting information you need (especially important if you’re planning to live in or visit Japan), and showing interest in others. In this lesson, you’ll learn the two main ways to ask simple questions: the super easy method for yes/no questions using the particle か (ka), and how to ask for specific information using common Japanese question words (like who, what, where, when, etc.).
1. Yes/No Questions: The Magic of Adding か (ka)!
Let’s start with the simplest type of question – one that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” In English, we often have to change the word order (“This is a book” becomes “Is this a book?”). Good news: Japanese is usually much simpler!
To turn a basic statement into a yes/no question, you generally just need to add the particle か (ka) to the very end of the sentence. The rest of the sentence structure usually stays exactly the same.
- Example Statement:
- これ は ほん です。 (Kore wa hon desu.)
- This is a book.
- Example Question:
- これ は ほん ですか。 (Kore wa hon desu ka?)
- Is this a book?
It’s that easy! The か (ka) particle clearly signals that you’re asking a question.
- Another Example Statement:
- やまださん は せんせい です。 (Yamada-san wa sensei desu.)
- Mr./Ms. Yamada is a teacher.
- Example Question:
- やまださん は せんせい ですか。 (Yamada-san wa sensei desu ka?)
- Is Mr./Ms. Yamada a teacher?
Responding to Yes/No Questions:
Now, how do you answer these?
- Yes: The most common word for “yes” is はい (hai).
- You can simply say: はい、そうです。 (Hai, sō desu.) – Yes, that’s right. (Sō desu is a useful general agreement phrase).
- Or you can repeat the key information: はい、ほん です。 (Hai, hon desu.) – Yes, it’s a book. / はい、せんせい です。 (Hai, sensei desu.) – Yes, (he/she) is a teacher.
- No: The most common word for “no” is いいえ (iie).
- A very common and polite way to say “no” or “that’s not correct” is: いいえ、ちがいます。 (Iie, chigaimasu.) – No, that’s wrong / No, it’s different. (Chigaimasu literally means “it differs”).
- Alternatively, you can make the original statement negative. Remember です (desu) means “is/am/are.” Its common negative form is じゃありません (ja arimasen) (or the slightly more formal では ありません – dewa arimasen). So you could say: いいえ、ほん じゃありません。 (Iie, hon ja arimasen.) – No, it’s not a book. / いいえ、せんせい じゃありません。 (Iie, sensei ja arimasen.) – No, (he/she) is not a teacher.
(A Note on Intonation): While the particle か (ka) is the official grammatical marker for a question, you’ll also notice that Japanese speakers often use a slight rising intonation at the end of a question, just like in English. However, even without that rising pitch, the か (ka) makes it clear you’re asking.
2. Asking for Information: Using Question Words (Gimonshi – 疑問詞)
What if you need more than a simple yes or no? Just like English uses “Wh-” words (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How), Japanese has specific question words (疑問詞 – gimonshi) to ask for information.
The basic idea is that the question word usually takes the place of the information you are asking about within the sentence structure, and you still end the sentence with か (ka).
Let’s look at the most common and useful ones:
だれ (dare) / どなた (donata) = Who?
dare is the standard word for “who.”
donata is the more polite equivalent, used when you want to show more respect.
Example: あの ひと は **だれ** ですか。 (Ano hito wa dare desu ka?) – Who is that person? (Here, darereplaces the name/identity).
If asking who did an action (where “who” is the subject), it often uses the particle が (ga), as we learned in Lesson 2.1: **だれ が** きますか。 (Dare ga kimasu ka?) – Who will come?
なに (nani) = What?
Used to ask about things, objects, or actions.
Example: これ は **なに** ですか。 (Kore wa nani desu ka?) – What is this? (Here, nani replaces the name of the object).
If asking what someone will do to an object (where “what” is the direct object), it often uses the particle を (o): **なに を** のみますか。 (Nani o nomimasu ka?) – What will you drink?
どこ (doko) = Where?
Used to ask about places or locations.
Example: トイレ は **どこ** ですか。 (Toire wa doko desu ka?) – Where is the toilet? (Here, dokoreplaces the location). Japanese uses different particles depending on the context of “where”:
For a destination (Where are you going to?), use particle に (ni): **どこ に** いきますか。 (Doko niikimasu ka?) – Where are you going? For the location of an action (Where did you do something at?), use particle で (de): **どこ で** かいましたか。 (Doko de kaimashita ka?) – Where did you buy it? (Don’t worry too much about ni vs de right now, just notice doko is used for place).
いつ (itsu) = When?
Used to ask about time. Example: あなた の たんじょうび は **いつ** ですか。 (Anata no tanjōbi wa itsu desu ka?) – When is your birthday? Note: Unlike place question words, itsu usually does not take a time particle like に (ni) after it.
どうして (dōshite) / なぜ (naze) = Why?
dōshite is the more common, everyday word for “why.” naze is generally more formal or used in writing. Example: **どうして** おくれましたか。 (Dōshite okuremashita ka?) – Why were you late?
どう (dō) = How?
A versatile word used to ask about the manner, state, or condition of something. It’s also used to ask for opinions or make suggestions (“How about…?”). Example (State/Opinion): この カメラ は **どう** ですか。 (Kono kamera wa dō desu ka?) – How is this camera? / How about this camera? Example (Manner): えき まで **どう** いきますか。 (Eki made dō ikimasu ka?) – How do I get to the station?
いくら (ikura) = How much? (Cost)
Used specifically to ask for the price of something. Example: これ は **いくら** ですか。 (Kore wa ikura desu ka?) – How much is this?
どの (dono + Noun) = Which (+ Noun)?
dono must be followed immediately by a noun. It’s used when selecting one item from a group of three or more.
Example: **どの バス が** にいがた えき に いきますか。 (Dono basu ga Niigata eki ni ikimasu ka?) – Which bus goes to Niigata Station? (Choosing from potentially many buses). Notice ga is often used here when asking “which one” is the subject.
どちら (dochira) / どっち (dotchi) = Which? / Which way?
Used when choosing between two items. dochira is standard/polite, dotchi is casual.
Example (Two items): バス と でんしゃ、 **どちら が** はやい ですか。 (Basu to densha, dochira ga hayai desu ka?) – Between the bus and the train, which is faster? Also used to ask for direction (“which way?”). Example: えき は **どちら** ですか。 (Eki wa dochiradesu ka?) – Which way is the station?
3. Practice Suggestions
The best way to get comfortable with asking questions is to practice! Right now, look around your room or outside your window. Try asking yourself simple questions in Japanese using what you just learned: