|| cybertutorial 5 ||  the ka particle

The Question-Indicating Particle

To turn any sentence into a question, you simply add "ka" to
the end of the sentence. You don't have to change any other part of
the sentence.

Kanojo wa kanada-jin desu.
She is Canadian.

Kanojo wa kanada-jin desu ka.
Is she Canadian?


A second major function of ka is after interrogative words to change
their specific meanings into indefinite meanings:

itu ----> itu ka
when --> sometime

Itu Nihon ni kimasita ka.
When (did) (you) come (to) Japan?

Itu ka Nihon ni ikitai desu.
(I) want (to) go (to) Japan sometime.


doko ----> doko ka
where --> somewhere

Kinou doko ni ikimasita ka.
Where (did) (you) go yesterday?

Kinou doko ka ni ikimasita ka.
(Did) (you) go somewhere yesterday?


nani ----> nani ka
what --> something

Nani ni simasu ka.
What (will) you have?

Nani ka hosii desu ka.
(Do) (you) want something?


dare ----> dare ka
who --> someone

Kare wa dare desu ka.
Who is he?

Dare ka ni kiite kudasai.
Please ask someone.


Sample Sentences:


Sono hito wa Nihon-jin desu.
That person is Japanese.
Sono hito wa Nihon-jin desu
ka.
Is that person Japanese?

Kanojo wa Igirisu-jin desu.
She is English.
Kanojo wa Igirisu-jin desu
ka.
Is she English?

Kare wa yakyuu no senshu desu.
He is (a) baseball player.
Kare wa yakyuu no senshu desu
ka.
Is he (a) baseball player?

Soto wa samui desu.
(It) is cold outside.
Soto wa samui desu
ka.
Is (it) cold outside?

Kare wa Tanaka-san no tomodati desu.
He is Tanaka-san's friend.
Kare wa Tanaka-san no tomodati desu
ka.
Is he Tanaka-san's friend?

Sore wa kare no atarasii pasokon desu.
That is his new personal computer.
Sore wa kare no atarasii pasokon desu
ka.
Is that his new personal computer?

 

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