How to ask questions in Japanese is easy. Traditional Japanese requires only slight adjustments are required to transform any statement into a question. This is usually done by a simple particle addition at the end of the sentence or a rising intonation. Below are the basic methods.

The particle "ka" (kah) is essentially a spoken question mark. By adding "ka" to the end of a statement, it becomes a question. For example, the statement "Akira-san wa gakusei desu" means "Mr. Akira is a student." If you simply add "ka" to the end, so that it reads "Akira-san wa gakusei desu ka", then the sentence becomes "Is Mr. Akira a student?". Virtually any statement can be made a question in this manner.

Although not traditionally Japanese, it is fairly well understood that a rising intonation signals a question, just as it does in English. For instance "ne?" spoken with a rising intonation would ask "really?" If someone says in Japanese "we'll meet you here tomorrow at the same time"; you could reply "san-ji?" with a rising intonation , and that would ask for confirmation: "3 o'clock?" This method is understood, but also considered very informal.

As in English, Japanese has many interrogative words that ask for specific information. Below are a few such words that will help in asking questions.

• Dare (dah reh) - Who? Example: Ano hito wa dare desu ka? (Who is that person over there?)
• Nani (nah nee) - What? Also shortened to "nan" in sentences: Nan desu ka? (What is it?")
• Itsu (ee tsoo) - When?
• Doko (doh koh) - Where?
• Ikura (ee coo rah) - How much?
• Dore (doh reh) - Which one?
• Dooshite (doh she tay) - Why?
• Doo (doh) - How? Tohsaku, Yasu-Hiko, 1994. "Yookoso! An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese." McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York.

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