JLPT N5 Lesson 20: Asking Questions
How to ask a question
This lesson aimed at helping elimentary level students learn how to ask questions. Here we will learn how to form an interrogative sentence in Japanese. We will also learn about the question words those are necessary to ask a question.Note: In the above illustration, the verb 'ใซใใ (run away)' has been used in one of the sentence, but this verb may not be tested in JLPT N5 level.
Question Marker
In Japanese, the particle 'ใ' is used as the equivalent of English question mark (?). Just by placing the particle ใ at the end of a simple affirmative or negative sentence we can make it an interrogative sentence and the structure of the sentence will not be affected in any other parts of the sentence. Whereas in English we know the sentence structure needs to be changed to agree with numbers (singular/plural) and to agree with the tense of the verbs when we transform a simple sentence to an interrogative sentence. In that sense Japanese is easy, right?In writing formal Japanese, no question mark is used to denote interrogative sentences, the particle 'ใ' denotes that the sentence is an interrogative sentence. Using the '?' after the word 'ใ' actually would be redundant but in romanized Japanese or in casual and creative writing or in Manga, using the question mark (?) is common.
Besides the 'ใ' particle, 'ใฎ' particle is also used to denote an interrogative sentence (mostly in conversations).
Example:
Statement: ใใใฏใใใใใงใ。= He is a student.
Question: ใใใฏใใใใใงใใ。= Is he a student?
Statement: ใใใใฏใใพใปใใใใฟใพใ。= I will read book now.
Question: ใใใใฏใใพใปใใใใฟใพใใ。 = Shall I read book now?
Satement: ใใพ ใใฃใใใธใใ。= I will go to school now.
Question: ใใพ ใใฃใใใธใใใฎ? = Are you going to school now?
Answering Questions
Usually, the answer will be according to the questions, but typically, first we need to agree or disagree which is 'yes' or 'no' alone or together with some other helping words such as - 'yes it is' or 'no, you are wrong'.ใฏใ = Yes
ใใ = Yes
ใใใ = No
ใฏใ、ใใใงใ。= Yes, it is.
ใใใ、ใใใงใฏใใใพใใ。= No, it's not that.
ใฏใ、ใใใใพใใ。= Yes, understood.
ใใใ、ใกใใใพใ。= No, it isn't. (different opinion - not agreeing)
Practice:
Question: ใใใใใใฏใซใปใใใใงใใ。= Is Mr. Suzuki Japanese?Anser: ใฏใ、ใใใงใ。= Yes, he is.
Question: ใใใใใฃใใใธใใใพใใ。= Are you going to school?
Answer: ใฏใ、ใใใพใ。= Yes, I'll go.
Question: ใใชใใฏใใใญใใกใงใใ。= Are you a rich person?
Answer: ใใใ、ใใใงใฏใใใพใใ。= No, it isn't.
Question: ใใชใใฏใขใกใชใซใใใงใใ。= Are you an American?
Answer: ใใใ、ใกใใใพใ。= No, it isn't.
Question Words
But for more specific questions, like in English, in Japanese also the same kind of question words are used.What = ใชใ [ไฝ] / ใชใซ [ไฝ]
:-: ใใใฏใชใใงใใ。What is this?:-: ใชใซใใในใพใใ。= What will you eat?
:-: ใชใใใงใใ。= What time is it?
:-: ใใชใพใใฏใชใใงใใ。= What is your name?
:-: ใชใใฐใใงใใ。 = What number is this?
Note: When ไฝ is used before particle ใ or ใ it is always pronounced as ใชใซ.
:-: ไฝ [ใชใซ] ใใใพใใ。= What are you doing?
:-: ไฝ [ใชใซ] ใใในใพใใใ。= What did you eat?
What (kind of) = ใฉใใช
:-: ใฉใใชในใใผใใไธ็ชใใใงใใ。= What sport do you like best?Who = ใฉใชใ (polite)
:-: ใใฎใใใฏใฉใชใใงใใ。= Who is that person?Who = ใ ใ (informal)
:-: ใใใฏใ ใใงใใ。= Who is he?:-: ใ ใใใใพใใใ。= Who came?
Whom = ใ ใใ / ใ ใใจ (*also refers to 'who' based on the context)
:-: ใใพใ ใใจใใใพใใ。 = To whom do you meet now?:-: ใ ใใใฟใพใใ。 = Whom will you see?
Whose = ใ ใใฎ
:-: ใใใฏใ ใใฎๆฌใงใใ。 = Whose book is this?Which (one out of two) = ใฉใกใ (polite)
:-: ใใชใใฎๆฌใฏใฉใกใใงใใ。= Which one is your book?Which (one out of two) = ใฉใฃใก (informal)
:-: ใใชใใฎใใฐใใฏใฉใฃใกใงใใ。= Which one is your bag?Note: ใฉใกใ usually means 'which one out of two', but when it refers to place, asking question using 'ใฉใกใ' or 'ใฉใฃใก' may means which place from the option 'unknown number of places'.
example: ใใใใใฏใฉใกใใฎๅฝใธใใใพใใ。= This time which country are you going?
Which = ใฉใ
:-: ใฉใใใใชใใฎใใฐใใงใใ。= Which one is your bag?Which(refer to subject) = ใฉใฎ~
:-: ใใชใใฏใฉใฎๆฌใใใใงใใ。= Which book do you like?When = ใใค
:-: ใ่ช็ๆฅ (ใใใใใใณ) ใฏใใคใงใใ。= When is your birthday?Where = ใฉใ
:-: ใใใฏใฉใใงใใ。= Where is the station?Why = ใชใ
:-: ใใใฏใชใใงใใ。= Why is that?Why = ใฉใใใฆ
:-: ใฉใใใฆใใคใใใใๅญฆๆ ก (ใใฃใใ) ใธใใพใใ。= Why do you always come to school late?How = ใฉใ
:-: ใใใฏใฉใใงใใ。= How is it?How = ใใใ
:-: ใใใใงใใ。= How is it?How much = ใใใ
:-: ใใใฏใใใใงใใ。= How much is it?How many = ใใใค
:-: ใใกใญใใซใฏใใใคใใใใคใใใพใใ。= How many seasons are there in a year?This lesson is up to here. If you enjoyed this lesson, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons in the top-left corner beside the article title.
JLPT N5 Resources: Vocabulary Lists:
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 01
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 02
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 03
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 04
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 05
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 06
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 07
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 08
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 09
- JLPT N5 Resources - Vocabulary List - 10
- Lesson 1: Why Japanese Language
- Lesson 2: JLPT N5 Introduction
- Lesson 3: Hiragana Part 1
- Lesson 4: Hiragana Part 2
- Lesson 5: Katakana Part 1
- Lesson 6: Katakana Part 2
- Lesson 7: Kanji Part 1
- Lesson 8: Japanese Everyday Greetings
- Lesson 9: Japanese Particles Introduction
- Lesson 10: Grammar Time
- Lesson 11: Verb Basic
- Lesson 12 - Vocabulary
- Lesson 13 - Grammar - Verb: Part 2
- Lesson 14 - Kanji - Part 2
- Lesson 15 - Grammar - Verb: Part 03
- Lesson 16 - Grammar: Verb Part 04
- Lesson 17: Telling Time
- Lesson 18: Telling Date
- Lesson 19: Counting and Counter Words
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