N4172/179

Question-phrase + か

Noun/Question word + かQuestion word + か + rest of the sentence

Meanings

  • Embedding a question inside a sentence
  • Indirect questions using a question word
  • Asking oneself or others about something within a larger statement

About this pattern

Explanation

Question-phrase + か is used to embed a question inside a larger sentence or to indicate an indirect question. It often appears when discussing or considering possibilities, causes, destinations, or timings without presenting the question as a direct, standalone inquiry. The tone can be neutral or cautious, especially when reporting what someone asked or wondered. When the main clause is a statement, the embedded question carries the same word order as a direct question, but it remains part of a larger sentence.

Learn in context

Example sentences

彼がどこへ行くか分からない。

I don’t know where he is going.

次に何をするか決めましょう。

Let's decide what to do next.

彼女が誰を選ぶか気になる。

I’m curious about whom she will choose.

この店の値段が安いかどうかはまだ分からない。

I don’t know yet whether this shop's prices are cheap.

報告書に何を書くか決めた。

I decided what to write in the report.