JLPT N5 Grammar: 〜ですか (desu ka)
The polite question form — “Is it ~?” / “Are you ~?”
JLPT N5 文法 〜ですか 解説 (丁寧な質問)
⏱️ Study time: 4–6 minutes
〜ですか (desu ka) is the standard polite way to ask a yes/no question in Japanese. Simply add か to the end of a です sentence. No word order change, no special intonation — just add か. It works with nouns, na‑adjectives, and i‑adjectives.
Quick Summary
〜ですか
Is it ~? / Are you ~? (polite yes/no question)
Sentence (です) + か
これはペンですか。これはぺんですか。Kore wa pen desu ka.
Is this a pen?
📝 Core Pattern
💡 Toggle furigana, hiragana, or romaji for easier reading.
What is 〜ですか?
〜ですか is the polite way to ask a yes/no question. It is formed by adding the question particle か to the end of a sentence that ends with です. This is the most basic question pattern in Japanese — and you'll use it dozens of times every day.
- Works with nouns: 学生ですか = Are you a student?
- Works with na‑adjectives: 静かですか = Is it quiet?
- Works with i‑adjectives: おいしいですか = Is it delicious?
- Does NOT work with verbs: say 食べますか, not 食べるですか.
田中さんは日本人ですか。たなかさんはにほんじんですか。Tanaka-san wa Nihonjin desu ka.
Is Mr. Tanaka Japanese?
⚡ How to Form 〜ですか
Examples & Mini Dialogue
これは何ですか。これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka.
What is this?
✅ The most common question in Japanese.
その映画はおもしろいですか。そのえいがはおもしろいですか。Sono eiga wa omoshiroi desu ka.
Is that movie interesting?
A: すみません、田中さんですか。すみません、たなかさんですか。Sumimasen, Tanaka-san desu ka.
B: はい、田中です。はい、たなかです。Hai, Tanaka desu.
⚡ ですか (polite) vs Casual Questions
💡 N5 focus: At N5, use ですか and ますか for all questions. Casual forms appear in listening but are not tested in production.
Common Mistakes (and Fixes)
JLPT N5 Practice Questions
1. How do you ask “Are you a student?” politely?
2. Which is correct for “Do you eat sushi?”
3. “Is it delicious?” (polite) — choose the correct form.
Test yourself with a free mock exam →
About the Instructor
Taught by Anup Sensei at Gogaku Language & Training Center in Pokhara. With real Japan experience and a focus on exam essentials, he helps students pass the JLPT with confidence.
⚡ Vocabulary Used in This Lesson
Related Grammar
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ですか with verbs?
No. Verbs use ますか, not です. 食べますか ✓, 食べるですか ✕.
Is the question mark used in Japanese?
In formal writing, the question mark is often omitted; the か alone signals a question. In casual writing and messaging, ？ is common. Both are acceptable.
Can I just add rising intonation instead of か?
In casual speech, yes (e.g., 学生？). But for polite Japanese and the JLPT, always use ですか.
Continue Learning
Next: ますか (masu ka) — polite verb questions.
Learn ますか →→ Explore the JLPT N5 Grammar Hub
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