Kumi logo
    Kumi

    Learn Japanese. Where understanding folds into fluency.

    Dictionary

    KanjiKanji vocabularyKana vocabularyKanaRadicalsGrammarJLPT N5

    Learn

    GuidesData reportsStart where you areWhat is KMT?RoadmapFAQ

    Connect

    EmailDiscordInstagramThreadsTikTokYouTubeLinkedInBlueskyX

    Newsletter

    Start learning free →

    Free forever tier. No card required.

    © 2026 Kumiai Inc. All rights reserved.

    AboutFAQContactStatusPrivacyTermsAttributions
    Dictionary
    1. Dictionary
    2. Grammar
    3. 〜か

    〜か

    〜か

    This word makes a sentence a question. It is like putting a question mark at the end.

    N5KMT1NeutralStandardSentence Ending ParticleMixedBasic Sentence EndersGrammar

    Sentence + かPrimary
    Noun + か
    な-Adjective + か
    い-Adjective + か
    Verb [dictionary form] + か

    This word makes a sentence a question. It is like putting a question mark at the end.

    君きみは学がく生せいか。

    Are you a student?

    NeutralNon PastAffirmativeSentence EndingDeclarativeEducationDaily Life
    昨きの日うの試し合あいは面おも白しろかったか?

    Was yesterday's game interesting?

    CasualPastAffirmativeSentence EndingDeclarativeSports & Martial ArtsMusic & Entertainment
    もうこれ以い上じょうは食たべないのか。

    Are you not going to eat any more than this?

    CasualNon PastNegativeSentence EndingDeclarativeFood & DiningDaily Life
    彼かれがいつ来くるか分わかりません。

    I don't know when he will come.

    PoliteNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceDeclarativeWork & CareerDaily Life
    これで本ほん当とうにいいのか、もう一いち度ど考かんがえよう。

    Let's think one more time about whether this is really okay.

    NeutralNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceVolitionalCore ConceptsEmotions & Psychology

    When you use か at the end of a sentence, it can sound strong or like a man speaking. Men often use it with friends. Women usually just raise their voice to ask a question. You can also use か to ask yourself a question.

    This is different from how you make questions in English. In Japanese, the word before 'か' changes how polite your question sounds. If you use a plain word before 'か', it is very casual. If you use 'ます' or 'です' before 'か', it is polite. Using casual 'か' in a polite talk can seem rude.

    Don't use this when asking a polite question. For example, say '学生ですか' not '学生か'. When you ask a question, you add 'か' to the end of a sentence. If the sentence ends with 'だ', you take 'だ' away. Then you add 'か'. For example, '学生だ' means 'is a student'. To ask 'Is it a student?', you say '学生か'. You do not say '学生だか'. Another example is '静かだ'. This means 'is quiet'. To ask 'Is it quiet?', you say '静かか'.

    Often confused with(1)

    〜ね

    You use this to ask someone if they agree with you. It makes your words sound softer. It also asks them to respond.

    Less formal alternatives(1)

    ですか

    You use this to ask a polite question. It comes after a noun or an adjective.

    辞書形

    This is the basic form of a verb. It is what you find in a dictionary. You use it to make other verb forms.

    〜だ / 〜だった

    This means 'is' or 'was'. It is the casual way to say 〜です and 〜でした.

    〜い / 〜かった

    This is the basic form of an い-adjective. It describes a quality of something. You use it for present or past qualities.

    Kumi logo

    Track your mastery

    Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.

    Related concepts for this entry

    often_confused_with

    • 〜ね

    Variants

    • ですか

    prerequisite

    • 辞書形
    • 〜だ / 〜だった
    • 〜い / 〜かった
    • 〜てもいいですか
    • 〜ようか
    • 〜(よ)うか
    • 〜ものか
    • 〜かしら
    • 〜け
    • 〜ませんか
    • 〜ましょうか
    • なんていうか

    Explore more

    Grammar dictionary›Browse all entries›