How to Say ‘Is it...? / Are you...?’ in Japanese
ですか。
desu ka
[dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [ですか] turns a statement into a polite question. Rising intonation helps, especially on the phone.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Polite question endings like [ですか] are expected in school/office calls—casual forms can sound too blunt.
Phrase Breakdown
です
desu
[dess]
is; am; are (polite copula)
Polite “to be.” Used to state identity or information (A is B).
こちらは田中小学校です。
This is Tanaka Elementary School.
か
ka
[kah]
(question marker)
Placed at the end to make a polite question, similar to adding “?” or “is it…?”
田中小学校ですか。
Is this Tanaka Elementary School?
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