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[Question word]~か: meaning, usage and examples

[Question word]~か means: ...what/when/where/who/how...

Updated · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

How to form it

＜Question word … plain form＞ + か (Noun / な-adj: だ is usually dropped: 誰だれが来くるか / どこが静しずかか)

Examples

  1. 彼かれがどこに住すんでいるか知しっていますか。

    Do you know where he lives?

  2. この言葉ことばの意味いみが何なにか分わかりません。

    I don't know what this word means.

  3. 駅えきまでどのくらいかかるか教おしえてください。

    Please tell me how long it takes to get to the station.

  4. 会議かいぎが何時なんじに始はじまるか忘わすれました。

    I forgot what time the meeting starts.

When to use it

Puts a question inside a longer sentence: 'I don't know where...', 'Please tell me when...'. The inner question has a question word (何なん, どこ, いつ, 誰だれ, どう) and ends in plain form + か. Common main verbs are 分わかる, 知しる, 教おしえる, 聞きく, 覚おぼえる and 忘わすれる: いつ始はじまるか分わかりません 'I don't know when it starts'.

Nuance

The inner question stays in plain form even in polite speech; only the main verb is polite. After nouns and な-adjectives, だ is usually left out before か. The particle after か (が or を) is often dropped too.

Compare

Compare かどうか (yes or no questions): 来くるかどうか 'whether he comes'. Use a question word + か when the question is what, where, when or who, and かどうか when the answer is yes or no. Compare 何なにか as one word: 何なにか食たべたい 'I want to eat something'.

Tip: Turn the direct question into plain form and keep the か: どこですか → どこか; 何時なんじに始はじまりますか → 何時なんじに始はじまるか.

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Frequently asked questions

What does [Question word]~か mean?

...what/when/where/who/how.... Example: 彼かれがどこに住すんでいるか知しっていますか。 (Do you know where he lives?)

How do you form [Question word]~か?

＜Question word … plain form＞ + か (Noun / な-adj: だ is usually dropped: 誰だれが来くるか / どこが静しずかか). Turn the direct question into plain form and keep the か: どこですか → どこか; 何時なんじに始はじまりますか → 何時なんじに始はじまるか.