Basic Course
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- 6 lessons
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- 96 week duration
Lesson 3: Nounですか
In this lesson, I will teach you how to ask questions in Japanese.
Patterns:
Notes:
①か is a particle，it’s used to ask a question.
②In Japanese questions, [。] is more often used than [？], but both are okay.
| Pattern | Meaning |
| [Noun] + ですか。 | Are you…? Is it…? |
| [Noun 1] + は + [Noun 2] + ですか。 | Are you a…? Is it a…? |
| [Noun] + ではありませんか。 | Are you…? Is it not…? |
| [Noun 1] + は + [Noun 2] + ではありませんか。 | Are you not a…? Is it not a…? |
Text:
田中さんは大学生ですか。
Is Mr. Tanaka a university student?
Tanaka-san wa daigakusei desu ka.
はい、大学生です。
Yes, he is a university student.
Hai, daigakusei desu.
トムは学生ではありませんか。
Tom isn’t a student, right?
Tomu wa gakusei dewa arimasen ka.
いいえ、学生です。
No, he is a student.
Iie, gakusei desu.
More Information:
| ① In English, the Yes or No is based on the truth. But in Japanese, the はい or いいえ is based on the question form（Positive or Negative）. はい is used when the answer matches the question. いいえ is used when the answer does not match the question. For example: Q: トムは学生ですか。 (Tom is a student, right?) A: はい → “Yes, he is a student.” A: いいえ → “No, he isn’t a student.” The question is 【he is a student？】，so if Tom is a student, it matches the question, you should use はい. If Tom is not a student, it doesn’t match the question, you should use いいえ. Q: トムは学生ではありませんか。 (Tom isn’t a student, right?) A: はい → “No, he isn’t a student.” A: いいえ → “Yes, he is a student.” The question is 【he is not a student？】，so if Tom is not a student, it matches the question, you should use はい. If Tom is a student, it doesn’t match the question, you should use いいえ. ② Besides 【ではありませんか】（Very formal）, you can use the following forms too: （1）ではないですか：Polite but more conversational （2）ではないか：Slightly formal, often written or literary style （3）じゃないですか：Casual, everyday speech （4）じゃないか：Casual, often male speech ③When the pattern Noun + ですか refers to a person or thing that the other speaker has already mentioned, it often functions as a confirmation rather than a completely new question. In this case, it can often be translated as “Do you mean + Noun?” or simply “Noun?” in natural English. Examples 映画ですか。 → Do you mean a movie? → A movie? 明日ですか。 → Do you mean tomorrow? → Tomorrow? However, the grammar itself is exactly the same. The difference is only in the speaker’s intention: Sometimes it is used to ask for new information. 学生ですか。 → Are you a student? Sometimes it is used to confirm information that was just mentioned. 映画ですか。 → Do you mean a movie? ④You can use これは なんですか to say “What is this?”. There is also an anime clip below that uses this sentence. |
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