How do I form questions in Korean?

Forming questions in Korean involves a few key changes to the sentence structure and the addition of question particles. Here's a basic guide to help you form questions in Korean:

1. Intonation:

• In spoken Korean, raising your intonation at the end of a sentence can indicate that it is a question. However, this method is more commonly used in informal settings.

2. Question Particles:

• To make a sentence into a question, you can use question particles. The most common ones are "이에요/예요 (ieyo/eyo)" for statements and "이에요/예요 (ieyo/eyo)" or "입니까 (imnikka)" for polite questions.

3. Word Order:

• In Korean, the basic word order is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). When forming questions, this order usually remains the same, but the question particles are added.

4. Examples:

• Basic Statement: 그것은 책이에요 (Geu-geos-eun chaeg-ieyo) - "That is a book."

• Basic Question: 그것은 책이에요 (Geu-geos-eun chaeg-ieyo)? - "Is that a book?"

• Polite Statement: 이것은 사과예요 (Igeos-eun sagwa-yeyo) - "This is an apple."

• Polite Question: 이것은 사과예요 (Igeos-eun sagwa-yeyo)? - "Is this an apple?"

• Polite Question with Different Particle: 이것은 사과입니까 (Igeos-eun sagwa-imnikka)? - "Is this an apple?"

• Informal Statement: 나는 학생이야 (Naneun haksaeng-iya) - "I am a student."

• Informal Question: 너는 학생이야 (Neoneun haksaeng-iya)? - "Are you a student?"

Remember that the choice of question particle can depend on the formality level, and there are additional question particles for more specific contexts. Also, be aware that intonation can play a crucial role, especially in informal spoken Korean. Practice with various question forms to become more comfortable with constructing questions in different situations.