How do you say "ask" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "ask" is 質問をする (shitsumon o suru). It is a verb pronounced "shee-tsoo-moh-n oh soo-roo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

質問をする is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as shitsumon o suru, it sounds roughly like "shee-tsoo-moh-n oh soo-roo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

私は毎日質問をします。

Watashi wa mainichi shitsumon o shimasu.

I to ask every day.

Usage notes

質問をする means to ask in Japanese. This is an everyday verb that learners encounter early. Mastering its masu form (質問をします) and te-form opens up many sentence patterns.

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Questions about 質問をする

How do you pronounce 質問をする?

質問をする is romanised as shitsumon o suru. Say it roughly like "shee-tsoo-moh-n oh soo-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 質問をする formal or casual?

質問をする is the plain (dictionary) form, used in casual speech and in dictionaries. For polite situations, verbs take a different ending, typically -masu. In Noun Town the game always shows the dictionary form.

How is 質問をする written in Japanese?

質問をする is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.