You’ll find a number of Japanese particles located at the end of a sentence. These
words can drastically change the meaning of the sentence. However, because the presence
of these particles alone at the end of a sentence changes the meaning, the rest
of the structure of the sentence will remain the same, which makes it easier for
the non-native speaker to learn.
Let’s look at three of the most common Japanese particles you’ll find at the end
of sentences and their most common uses. (Note: You may find these particles used
differently within sentences as well.)
Ka
You learned a little about the particle “ka” in the Sentence Structure section.
A sentence that ends with “ka” is a question.
Take any statement and add “ka” and you have turned the statement into a question.
For example:
Kawaguchi-san wa tenpura ga suki desu.
“Ms./Mr. Kawaguchi likes tempura.”
Kawaguchi-san wa tenpura ga suki desu ka.
“Does Ms./Mr. Kawaguchi like tempura?”
Neko wa sakana wo tabemasu.
“Cats eat fish.”
Neko wa sakana wo tabemasu ka.
“Do cats eat fish?”
As in English, questions in Japanese generally require the speaker to rise in intonation
toward the end of a sentence.
In both Japanese writing and romaji, you may or may not see a question mark after
the “ka.” The question mark makes it easier for non-native speakers to understand
that the sentence is a question, but it is not necessary in Japanese. A sentence
that ends with “ka” is a question, regardless of whether or not the “ka” is followed
by a period or a question mark.