Class 6: Asking Questions in Japanese
Goal: Learn how to ask and answer questions in Japanese using common question words and sentence structures.
1. Basic Sentence Structure for Questions
In Japanese, you form questions by adding か (ka) at the end of a sentence. Unlike English, where the word order changes for questions, the sentence structure in Japanese remains the same. You simply add か at the end to indicate a question.
Example:
- あなたはせんせいです。 (Anata wa sensei desu.) – You are a teacher.
- あなたはせんせいですか？ (Anata wa sensei desu ka?) – Are you a teacher?
2. Common Question Words
Here are some essential question words in Japanese:
3. Examples of Question Sentences
Let’s see how to use these question words in sentences:
- これはなんですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?) – What is this?
- トイレはどこですか？ (Toire wa doko desu ka?) – Where is the bathroom?
- これはいくらですか？ (Kore wa ikura desu ka?) – How much is this?
- あなたはいつきましたか？ (Anata wa itsu kimashita ka?) – When did you come?
4. Yes/No Questions
As mentioned earlier, to turn a statement into a yes/no question, simply add か at the end of the sentence.
- かれはがくせいですか？ (Kare wa gakusei desu ka?) – Is he a student?
- きょうはさむいですか？ (Kyou wa samui desu ka?) – Is it cold today?
Answers:
- はい、そうです。 (Hai, sou desu.) – Yes, that’s right.
- いいえ、ちがいます。 (Iie, chigaimasu.) – No, that’s wrong.
5. Question with Particles
Sometimes questions require specific particles to work with the question words:
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なんで (nande) or どうして (doushite) for "why":
- どうしてがっこうにいきませんでしたか？ (Doushite gakkou ni ikimasen deshita ka?) – Why didn’t you go to school?
-
どこへ (doko e) for "where to":
- どこへいきますか？ (Doko e ikimasu ka?) – Where are you going?
-
だれと (dare to) for "with whom":
- だれといっしょにきましたか？ (Dare to issho ni kimashita ka?) – Who did you come with?
6. Vocabulary for Everyday Questions
Here are some useful verbs and nouns to help you ask questions in daily situations:
7. Kanji (5 More Kanji)
Let’s add more kanji related to asking questions and actions:
8. Sentence Practice
Practice forming question sentences:
- なんじにねますか？ (Nanji ni nemasu ka?) – What time do you sleep?
- あなたはだれですか？ (Anata wa dare desu ka?) – Who are you?
- どこでしごとをしますか？ (Doko de shigoto wo shimasu ka?) – Where do you work?
9. Listening Practice
Listen to short dialogues or recordings where questions are asked, and try to identify the question words and structures used.
10. Homework
- Write 5 different questions using the question words learned today.
- Memorize the 5 new kanji (何, 誰, 何時, 何人, 何処).
- Practice responding to questions using both positive and negative forms.
In the next class, we will focus on numbers and counters in Japanese. Let me know if you have any questions about this class!
