Learning to ask simple yes-or-no questions in Japanese is one of the fastest ways to start having real conversations. The good news: the structure is clear and easy to use. Once you understand how 〜ですか works, you can build questions quickly and confidently.
The Central Idea
In Japanese, you turn a sentence into a yes-or-no question by adding か to the end. That’s the core of the pattern.
There is also the polite form です, which often comes just before か, giving you one very common question ending:
〜ですか
If you know how to create a basic sentence, you already know how to ask a basic question.
これは本です。
This is a book.
Turn it into a question:
本ですか。
Is this a book?
With one particle, the meaning changes from “This is a book” to “Is this a book?”
No Change in Word Order
In English, we flip word order to make questions:
You are a student.
Are you a student?
Japanese doesn’t do this. The sentence stays in the same order. You simply keep everything as it is and attach か to the end.
学生です。
You are a student.
学生ですか。
Are you a student?
Same order. Only the ending changes.
Politeness and Tone
Using ですか is polite and friendly. It works well in:
- Shops
- Classrooms
- Workplaces
- Most everyday situations
If you need to sound more formal, you can adjust the wording later, but 〜ですか is a safe and natural starting point for learners.
Typical Patterns
Here are a few common structures you will use often.
1. Noun + ですか
Used for simple identification.
これは寿司ですか。
Is this sushi?
2. Place + に + います / あります + か
Used to ask whether someone or something is present in a place.
田中さんはいますか。
Is Tanaka here?
いますか is used for people and animals (living things).
ありますか is used for objects and things (non-living).
Example:
ここにATMはありますか。
Is there an ATM here?
3. Adjective + ですか
Used to ask about conditions or qualities.
この店は高いですか。
Is this store expensive?
You can replace the adjective to ask many different questions:
- おいしいですか。 — Is it tasty?
- 便利ですか。 — Is it convenient?
4. Verb in ます form + か
Used to ask about actions.
行きますか。
Are you going?
食べますか。
Will you eat it?
Change the verb to change the question:
- 読みますか。 — Will you read it?
- 見ますか。 — Will you watch it?
Yes and No in Japanese
To answer, you usually use:
- はい — yes
- いいえ — no
You can keep it very short:
Q: 学生ですか。
A: はい。 / いいえ。
Or you can add the full sentence to be extra clear:
Q: 学生ですか。
A: はい、学生です。
Yes, I am a student.
A: いいえ、学生ではありません。
No, I am not a student.
Quick Practice
Statements
- あなたは日本人です。
- これはあなたのカバンです。
- その映画は有名です。
- 今日行きます。
Answers (Questions)
あなたは日本人ですか。
Are you Japanese?
このカバンはあなたのですか。
Is this bag yours?
その映画は有名ですか。
Is that movie famous?
今日は行きますか。
Are you going today?
Final Thoughts
Master 〜ですか and you open yourself up to a huge part of everyday Japanese. The structure is predictable, the tone is polite, and the pattern works across almost any topic.
Take simple statements you already know, attach か, and say them out loud as questions. Keep practicing this “flip” from statement to question, and you’ll feel your Japanese conversation skills grow quickly.
