疑問符
gimonfu[ɡʲimõ̞ɰ̃ɸɯ̟]
The English phrase 'question mark' is translated into Japanese as 疑問符 (gimonfu).
Meaning: punctuation mark (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 疑問符 is the standard term, you may see the symbol ？ used to represent the punctuation mark itself. The term 疑問符号 (gimonfugō) is another formal way to express 'question mark'.
How do you pronounce it?
gimonfu
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese writing, the question mark ？ is not used at all. Instead, the sentence-ending particle か (ka) indicates a question, and the sentence ends with a standard full stop.
- In casual digital communication, Japanese users often replace the question mark ？ with a tilde 〜 or a waving dash to soften the tone of a question and make it sound less demanding.
- The casual term for a question mark, はてな (hatena), comes from the verb はてなる (hatenaru), which means 'to be puzzled' or 'to be at a loss'.
Examples in context
- 疑問符は句読点です。A question mark is a punctuation mark.This sentence shows how to identify 疑問符 as a punctuation mark.Tatoeba #8697954 by small_snow, translation #8419940 by AlanF_US
- 文を書くときには、ふつう大文字で始め、ピリオド（.）、または感嘆符（!）、疑問符（?）、で終わる。When writing a sentence, generally you start with a capital letter and finish with a period (.), an exclamation mark (!), or a question mark (?).This sentence provides context for using 疑問符 when discussing the components of a sentence.Tatoeba #75724 by bunbuku, translation #327994 by CM
- この法律文書では、明示的な疑問を表すために疑問符号を使用します。In this legal document, we use a question mark to denote explicit questions.
- その文の終わりには、はてなを付けてください。Please add a question mark at the end of that sentence.
- 文の最後に疑問符を付け忘れた。Bun no saigo ni gimonfu o tsuke wasureta.I forgot to add a question mark at the end of the sentence.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are checking a Japanese essay together.
- 結衣 Yui健太、この文の最後に疑問符をつけて。Kenta, kono bun no saigo ni gimonfu o tsukete.Kenta, put a question mark at the end of this sentence.
- 健太 Kentaあ、本当だ。忘れていたよ。a, hontou da. wasurete ita yo.Oh, you're right. I forgot.
- 結衣 Yui質問していることが伝わるからね。shitsumon shite iru koto ga tsutawaru kara ne.That way, it's clear that you are asking a question.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう、結衣。直しておくね。arigatou, Yui. naoshite oku ne.Thanks, Yui. I'll fix it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “question mark” translations and entries 疑問符, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
