How to Ask Questions in Conversational Japanese

"YUU ASAKURA: Let's make questions with what we learned so far. I want to ask: Are you or is it? Is that? Is he? It's very simple. Let's make an example with "Are you?" And okay, this is a sentence: Anata wa something something desu. Just pay attention here. Use the particle "ka" or "ne" at the end then you can make a quick question. The difference between these two, the ka is a regular question. They say: Are you American? Anata wa American desu ka? And when you use ne instead ka that sounds like: Are you an American, aren't you? So "anata wa American desu ne" is confirming that "I think you're American. Is that true?" So that's the nuance that ne has. Okay, let's practice. So you want to ask me if I am Japanese or not, okay? So Japanese is? Yes, Nihonjin. So ask me if I'm Japanese. Just use ka this time. Yes, that's correct. Anata wa Nihonjin desu ka? Very good. So you think I am Japanese but you are not 100 percent sure so let's use ne this time. Good. Anata wa Nihonjin desu ne? And we know how to answer already. Yes is hai. No is--that's right, iie."