JLPT N5 reference · Sentence foundations
Questions with か
The sentence-final particle か marks a standard polite question. In casual speech, questions often use rising intonation without か.
Core meaning and form
Place か after the complete polite predicate. Question words remain in the position required by their particle rather than moving to the front by rule.
- polite statement + か.
- 何を, どこで, だれと keep their particles.
- Casual questions commonly omit か.
Examples in context
学生ですか。Gakusei desu ka.Are you a student?
どこで働いていますか。Doko de hataraite imasu ka.Where do you work?
これ、食べる？Kore, taberu?Will you eat this?
Common errors
- Do not use か after a casual plain question automatically; it can sound forceful or masculine.
- Do not move every question word to the beginning as in English.
Quick summary
- か follows the polite predicate.
- Question words keep their normal particle marking.
- Casual questions often rely on intonation.