Our first two particles は・か

A particle tells you what the function of the word is (the part of speech), whether it is a noun or a verb or an object or a time or a direction or a thing you use or whatever.

• はい！

• いいえ

• I still don't understand, please explain it again as many times as I ask you to.

This is the particle that tells you "Whatever comes right in front of me is the topic of what we are talking about"

• は

• か

• を

• に

• で

「は」looks like it should be pronounced with an "h" sound (and it normally is!), but when it is a particle for the topic of what you a should are talking about, it reverts to a...

• w-sound

• still an h-sound

Thedifference between は and か

Groups:

(a) は

,

(b) か

• Is what I said a question, or...?

• Careful! There's a negative coming up!

• I'm comparing two things, and I just switched what the topic was

• Hey! Look at this word! It's important!

• "This is what we are talking about"

• A topic marker

• A question marker

• Everything I just said is a question

「か」is already a question mark. So this sentence is correct:
これは butterfly　ですか (a)  

• ?
• You don't need a question mark ;)
• 。

Which is the topic marker?

• は

• か

Which is the question mark？

• は

• か

Pronounce「は」

10 sec audio

Pronounce「か」

10 sec audio

This is the simplest sentence you can make

a

b

c

d

です

でした

ではありません

ではありませんでした