Kumi logo
    Kumi

    Learn Japanese. Where understanding folds into fluency.

    Dictionary

    KanjiKanji vocabularyKana vocabularyKanaRadicalsGrammarJLPT N5

    Learn

    GuidesStart 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 ね (ne) 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 ですか 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›