JLPT N5 grammar

〜かmeaning and usage

Meaning

Marks a direct or embedded question; combines with question words to form indefinite expressions such as “someone” or “somewhere”; or links alternatives as “or.”

This point is also listed at N4.

How to form it

  • polite form (です/ます)か
  • question wordか
  • nounかnoun
  • verb (plain form)/い-adjective/noun/な-adjective (stem)か

How it is used

At the end of a sentence 「か」 makes a question; after a question word it means “some-” (「だれか」, someone); between nouns it means “or”. In an embedded question it follows the plain form, with no 「だ」 after a noun.

Examples

  1. このパーティーはいつなのか、 友達に聞いてみよう。

    Let's try asking a friend when this party is.

  2. だれか来ましたよ。

    Someone's here.

  3. コーヒーか紅茶はいかがですか。

    Would you like coffee or tea?

About the example In いつなのか, か marks the embedded question about when the party is, which the speaker proposes asking a friend.