疑問詞＋か

The structure 疑問詞[ぎもんし] + か is used in Japanese to form questions. A 疑問詞 is an interrogative word such as 何[なん] (what), 誰[だれ] (who), どこ (where), among others. When this word is followed by か, it effectively turns the statement into a question.

For example, if you want to ask, "What is it?" you would say 何[なん]ですか. This construction is essential for beginners learning how to ask questions in Japanese. It emphasizes the inquiry nature of the sentence.

• It is important to note that か is not used in casual conversation, where often tone or intonation indicates a question instead.
• This pattern is used in both spoken and written forms, but it tends to appear more formal in writing.