diff --git a/python-package/lightgbm/basic.py b/python-package/lightgbm/basic.py
index da0a12259866..b097bd0748fe 100644
--- a/python-package/lightgbm/basic.py
+++ b/python-package/lightgbm/basic.py
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@
     "ctypes._Pointer[ctypes.c_int32]",
     "ctypes._Pointer[ctypes.c_int64]"
 ]
+_ctypes_int_array = Union[
+    "ctypes.Array[ctypes._Pointer[ctypes.c_int32]]",
+    "ctypes.Array[ctypes._Pointer[ctypes.c_int64]]"
+]
 _ctypes_float_ptr = Union[
     "ctypes._Pointer[ctypes.c_float]",
     "ctypes._Pointer[ctypes.c_double]"
@@ -589,13 +593,16 @@ def _convert_from_sliced_object(data: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray:
     return data
 
 
-def _c_float_array(data):
+def _c_float_array(
+    data: np.ndarray
+) -> Tuple[_ctypes_float_ptr, int, np.ndarray]:
     """Get pointer of float numpy array / list."""
     if _is_1d_list(data):
         data = np.array(data, copy=False)
     if _is_numpy_1d_array(data):
         data = _convert_from_sliced_object(data)
         assert data.flags.c_contiguous
+        ptr_data: _ctypes_float_ptr
         if data.dtype == np.float32:
             ptr_data = data.ctypes.data_as(ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_float))
             type_data = _C_API_DTYPE_FLOAT32
@@ -609,13 +616,16 @@ def _c_float_array(data):
     return (ptr_data, type_data, data)  # return `data` to avoid the temporary copy is freed
 
 
-def _c_int_array(data):
+def _c_int_array(
+    data: np.ndarray
+) -> Tuple[_ctypes_int_ptr, int, np.ndarray]:
     """Get pointer of int numpy array / list."""
     if _is_1d_list(data):
         data = np.array(data, copy=False)
     if _is_numpy_1d_array(data):
         data = _convert_from_sliced_object(data)
         assert data.flags.c_contiguous
+        ptr_data: _ctypes_int_ptr
         if data.dtype == np.int32:
             ptr_data = data.ctypes.data_as(ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_int32))
             type_data = _C_API_DTYPE_INT32
@@ -1624,10 +1634,10 @@ def _init_from_sample(
 
         # c type: double**
         # each double* element points to start of each column of sample data.
-        sample_col_ptr = (ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_double) * ncol)()
+        sample_col_ptr: _ctypes_float_array = (ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_double) * ncol)()
         # c type int**
         # each int* points to start of indices for each column
-        indices_col_ptr = (ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_int32) * ncol)()
+        indices_col_ptr: _ctypes_int_array = (ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_int32) * ncol)()
         for i in range(ncol):
             sample_col_ptr[i] = _c_float_array(sample_data[i])[0]
             indices_col_ptr[i] = _c_int_array(sample_indices[i])[0]
@@ -2374,6 +2384,7 @@ def set_field(
             dtype = np.int32 if field_name == 'group' else np.float32
             data = _list_to_1d_numpy(data, dtype, name=field_name)
 
+        ptr_data: Union[_ctypes_float_ptr, _ctypes_int_ptr]
         if data.dtype == np.float32 or data.dtype == np.float64:
             ptr_data, type_data, _ = _c_float_array(data)
         elif data.dtype == np.int32: