In Japanese, small words called particles are really important when making questions, especially with question words. These little pieces help make the meaning and structure of a sentence clear.

Common Question Words

When you ask questions, you usually use words like:

• 何 (nani) - what
• 誰 (dare) - who
• いつ (itsu) - when
• どこ (doko) - where
• どうして (doushite) - why

The Role of Particles

The particle that’s most often used in questions is か (ka). You add it at the end of a sentence to turn a statement into a question.

For example:

• 彼は学生です。 (Kare wa gakusei desu.) - He is a student.
• 彼は学生ですか？ (Kare wa gakusei desu ka?) - Is he a student?

Mixing Question Words with Particles

You can put question words together with particles to ask more specific questions. Here are a couple of examples:

• 何をしますか？ (Nani o shimasu ka?) - What will you do?
• どこに行きますか？ (Doko ni ikimasu ka?) - Where will you go?

Conclusion

By learning how particles work and how to mix them with question words, you can ask clear and useful questions in Japanese. This makes it easier to talk and helps you speak better!