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Question words · 20 words · JLPT N5 to JLPT N1

Question words in Japanese: 20 words with readings, free to read.

Every question words word on the JLPT lists with its reading and meaning, the beginner ones in a real sentence. Filter it, flip it into flashcards, or carry it on your Lock Screen with Lock&Learn Japanese.

Friday 31 July
9:41
Question words
่ชฐ
Tap for the reading & meaning
ไฝ•
ใชใ‚“; ใชใซ
what
ไฝ•
ใชใ‚“
what kind of
ไฝ•ใง
ใชใ‚“ใง
why
01 · The list

Question words,
level by level

The question words of Japanese: what, who, where, when, why, how, which, how many and how much, from the JLPT vocabulary lists with readings and meanings. Learn these first and you can ask for everything else.

In Lock&Learn Japanese these words sit in their level packs (JLPT N5, JLPT N3, JLPT N1), one per glance on the widget: a word waits in kanji, the way the test shows it; one tap reveals the reading, the meaning and a real sentence. JLPT N5 is free; every other pack opens with a free preview and another word unlocks daily.

Type to filter by word, reading or meaning. Flashcards hides the reading and the meaning until you tap a row; Shuffle deals the list in a new order.

20 words
Question Words in Japanese: 20 words from the JLPT lists, JLPT N5 to JLPT N1
WordReadingMeaningLevelExample
ใ„ใ‹ใŒhow, polite wayJLPT N5ใŠ่Œถใฏใ„ใ‹ใŒใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใŠใกใ‚ƒใฏใ„ใ‹ใŒใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Would you like some tea?
ใ„ใใคhow many itemsJLPT N5ใ‚Šใ‚“ใ”ใฏใ„ใใคใ‚ใ‚Šใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใ‚Šใ‚“ใ”ใฏใ„ใใคใ‚ใ‚Šใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚How many apples are there?
ใ„ใใ‚‰how much moneyJLPT N5ใ“ใ‚Œใฏใ„ใใ‚‰ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใ“ใ‚Œใฏใ„ใใ‚‰ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚How much is this?
ใ„ใคwhenJLPT N5ใ„ใคๆ—ฅๆœฌใธ่กŒใใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใ„ใคใซใปใ‚“ใธใ„ใใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚When will you go to Japan?
่ชฐใ ใ‚ŒwhoJLPT N5ใใ‚Œใฏ่ชฐใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใใ‚Œใฏใ ใ‚Œใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Who is that?
ใฉใ†howJLPT N5ใ“ใ‚Œใ‹ใ‚‰ใฉใ†ใ—ใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใ“ใ‚Œใ‹ใ‚‰ใฉใ†ใ—ใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚What will you do from now on?
ใฉใ†ใ—ใฆwhyJLPT N5ใฉใ†ใ—ใฆๅญฆๆ กใซ่กŒใ‹ใชใ„ใฎใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใฉใ†ใ—ใฆใŒใฃใ“ใ†ใซใ„ใ‹ใชใ„ใฎใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Why are you not going to school?
ใฉใ“whereJLPT N5ใƒˆใ‚คใƒฌใฏใฉใ“ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใจใ„ใ‚Œใฏใฉใ“ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Where is the restroom?
ใฉใกใ‚‰which one politeJLPT N5ใฉใกใ‚‰ใŒๅ…ˆ็”Ÿใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใฉใกใ‚‰ใŒใ›ใ‚“ใ›ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Which one is the teacher?
ใฉใฃใกwhich one (casual)JLPT N5ใฉใฃใกใŒๅฅฝใใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใฉใฃใกใŒใ™ใใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Which do you like?
ใฉใชใŸwho politeJLPT N5ใ‚ใฎๆ–นใฏใฉใชใŸใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใ‚ใฎใ‹ใŸใฏใฉใชใŸใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Who is that person?
ใฉใฎwhich (noun/determiner)JLPT N5ใฉใฎๅ‚˜ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใฉใฎใ‹ใ•ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Which umbrella is it?
ใฉใ‚Œwhich oneJLPT N5ใฉใ‚ŒใŒใ‚ใชใŸใฎๅ‚˜ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใฉใ‚ŒใŒใ‚ใชใŸใฎใ‹ใ•ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Which one is your umbrella?
ใฉใ‚“ใชwhat kind ofJLPT N5ใฉใ‚“ใช้ฃŸใน็‰ฉใŒๅฅฝใใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใฉใ‚“ใชใŸในใ‚‚ใฎใŒใ™ใใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚What kind of food do you like?
ใชใœwhyJLPT N5ใชใœๅ‹‰ๅผทใ™ใ‚‹ใฎใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใชใœในใ‚“ใใ‚‡ใ†ใ™ใ‚‹ใฎใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚Why do you study?
ไฝ•ใชใ‚“; ใชใซwhatJLPT N5ไฝ•ใฎๆœฌใ‚’่ชญใฟใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใชใ‚“ใฎใปใ‚“ใ‚’ใ‚ˆใฟใพใ™ใ‹ใ€‚What kind of book are you going to read?
ไฝ•ใชใ‚“what kind ofJLPT N5ไฝ•ใฎๆœฌใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ใชใ‚“ใฎใปใ‚“ ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚What kind of book is it?
ใ„ใšใ‚Œwhich oneJLPT N3
ไฝ•ใงใชใ‚“ใงwhyJLPT N3
ใ„ใ‹ใซhow; in what way; (in negative/rhetorical contexts) however muchJLPT N1

Word lists: the widely used JLPT N5 to N1 sets after Jonathan Waller's tanos.co.uk lists (the JLPT publishes no official lists). Definitions adapted from JMdict by the EDRDG, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences are original Lock&Learn content.

02 · More topics
03 · Questions

Asked and
answered

What are the question words in Japanese?

The table lists the 20 interrogatives on the JLPT vocabulary lists with their readings and meanings, each beginner-level one with a real sentence that shows where it sits in the question.

Which JLPT levels are these words from?

17 from JLPT N5, 2 from JLPT N3, 1 from JLPT N1. The level chip on each row says where the word sits, so you can stop at your level or read ahead. Beginner-level words carry a real example sentence; the rest show word, reading and meaning, with their sentences in the app.

How do I learn question words words on my iPhone Lock Screen?

Install Lock&Learn Japanese, then touch and hold your Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap the widget area and choose Lock&Learn Japanese. Enable the level packs these words come from (JLPT N5, JLPT N3, JLPT N1). A word waits in kanji, the way the test shows it; one tap reveals the reading, the meaning and a real sentence.

Is Lock&Learn Japanese free?

Yes. The app is free on iOS: JLPT N5 is free, every other pack opens with a free preview, and another word unlocks daily. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan or a one-time lifetime purchase.

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