4
Military Japanese
teppō desu. Remember the verb always comes last in the sentence.
| Kore wa dare desu ka | Who is this? Who are these? |
| Kore wa nan desu ka | What is this? What are these? |
| Kore wa ikura desu ka | How much is this? |
| Kore wa doko desu ka. | Where is this? |
In asking a question, no change in word order, such as is usual in English, is necessary. The only thing needed is to add ka to the end of the statement and a rising inflection, for example:
| Kore wa teppō desu | This is a rifle. |
| Kore wa teppō desu ka | Is this a rifle? Are these rifles? |
| Kore wa anata desu | This is you. |
| Kore wa anata desu ka | Is this you? |
| | |
| Dare desu ka | Who is (it)? |
| Nani (nan) desu ka | What is (it)? |
| Doko desu ka | Where is (it)? |
| Itsu desu ka | When is (it)? |
| Naze desu ka | Why is (it)? |
| Dōshite desu ka | How is (it)? In what way? |
| Ikutsu desu ka | How many is (it)? How old are you? |
| Ikura desu ka | How much is (it)? |
However, in military questions one can omit the verb and say abruptly:
| Dare ka | Who? |
| Nani ka | What? |
| Doko ka | Where? |
| Itsu ka | When? |
| Naze ka | Why? |
| Dōshite ka | How? |
| Ikutsu ka | How many? How old? |
| Ikura ka | How much? |
Although the above structure is permissible, the complete form is the more polite, and better results may be attained, in questioning a prisoner, etc., by its use. Generally speaking, complete form should be used in questioning officers and abrupt form by officers questioning enlisted men.
