intonation question

pacerier · (#1 (**permalink**))

hi all, i was wondering when you say desu ka the intonation is rising at ka right?

what if i say deshita ka is the intonation still rising?

SceptileMaster · (#2 (**permalink**))

Rising intonation at the end of a sentence is generally a question in Japanese. For example if you were asking someones name in this way:

なまえは
namae wa

The intonation would still rise at the end.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I have observed.

XJitenshaX · (#3 (**permalink**))

un, I agree^__^
I think the same as SceptileMaster.
As much as I know it's right..xD

KyleGoetz · (#4 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacerier

hi all, i was wondering when you say desu ka the intonation is rising at ka right?

what if i say deshita ka is the intonation still rising?

I don't intonate Japanese questions the same way I do in English, if that's what you're asking.

pacerier · (#5 (**permalink**))

actually i meant like when a sentence is turned from present tense to past tense. something like this:

1. nihongo o benkyo shimasu ka?
(this is rising intonation)

2. nihongo o benkyo shimashita ka?
(what intonation would this sentence be at the end, is this still rising cause it sounds a bit weird)

SceptileMaster · (#6 (**permalink**))

It doesn't sound strange because only the final syllable needs to rise in pitch. If it's a question normally it rises in pitch at the last syllable.

Nyororin · (#7 (**permalink**))

Raising the intonation of the ka sounds weird. In fact, I`d say that you lower it instead of raising it. Question intonation is not the same in Japanese and English.

SSJup81 · (#8 (**permalink**))

Just like Nyororin said, seems you lower it from what I've observed from both my native Japanese teacher and from those in like Japanese Dramas. Maybe it would help if you watched some dramas just to see when they do raise the pitch and such for certain sentences or if you take a Japanese class, pay attention to how your teacher speaks it..

burkhartdesu · (#9 (**permalink**))

yeah... nan-desu ka ;-)

KyleGoetz · (#10 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Raising the intonation of the ka sounds weird. In fact, I`d say that you lower it instead of raising it. Question intonation is not the same in Japanese and English.

This. You seem to be applying English interrogative rules to Japanese. This is patently not correct. I kept trying to think of questions where I'd raise my voice like in English questions, but I couldn't find anything that sounded natural to my ears. The existence of the か there means you do not need to raise the intonation at the end of a question.