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Japanese Particles that Indicate a Question or Uncertainty

Japanese Particles that Indicate a Question or Uncertainty

1a-b. か (ka)

2. かな (kana)

3. かしら (kashira)

4. の (no)

5. って (tte)

1a. か (ka)

Indicates a question at the end of a sentence. Its tone has the politeness expected in everyday conversation with strangers or social superiors, in contrast to the casualness indicated by particles 2, 5.

i)

山本:最近さいきん仕事しごとはいかがいです

竹下:以前いぜんほど順調じゅんちょうではないですね。

Yamamoto: How is work going these days?

Takeshita: Not as smoothly as before.

ii)

京子:昨日きのう試合しあい、どっちがったんです

直美:もちろんAチームですよ。

Kyoko: Who won yesterday’s game?

Naomi: The A team, of course.

1b. か (ka)

Indicating a question, doubt, or uncertainty in mid-sentence.

i)

今日きょう風邪かぜいたのあさからのどがいたい。

Maybe I’ve caught a cold—I’ve had a sore throat today since morning.

ii)

明日あした会合かいごう何人なんにんるの、わからない。

I don’t know how many people are coming to tomorrow’s gathering.

2. かな (kana)

Typically used by men, indicates a tentative question or uncertainty at the end of a sentence. The feminine equivalent is かしら (3), both in function and in casualness of tone. English equivalent: “I wonder.”

i)

課長かちょう午後ごごからの緊急会議きんきゅうかいぎのこと、みんなってるかな

係長かかりちょう大丈夫だいじょうぶですよ、メールしてありますから。。。

Section chief: I wonder if everyone knows about the emergency meeting starting this afternoon.

Subsection chief: Don’t worry about it. An email has been sent out.

ii)

おっと明日あしたゴルフにくんだけど、高田君たかだくんかないかな

つま:お電話でんわしてみたら?

Husband: I’m going golfing tomorrow. I wonder if Takada won’t go too.

Wife: Why not call and find out?

3. かしら (kashira)

Typically used by women, indicating a tentative question or uncertainty at the end of a sentence. The masculine equivalent is かな (2), both in function and in casualness of tone.

i)

つま:どうしたのかしら?お財布さいふれておいたのに、かぎがないの。

おっと:大丈夫、テーブルのうえにあるよ。

Wife: I wonder what happened? I put it in my purse, but the key is gone.

Husband: Don’t worry. It’s there on the table.

ii)

智美:あの新しいレストラン、おいしいかしら

美江:おいしいわよ。昨日きのう百合ゆりってみたの。

Satomi: I wonder how good that new restaurant is?

Mie: It’s pretty good. Yesterday I went with Yuri to try it out.

4. の (no)

Spoken with rising intonation, indicates a question at the end of the sentence. Equivalent in function to か (1a) but provides a softer, more casual tone.

i)

母:もうごはんべた

息子:まだわってないよ。

Mother: Have you already eaten?

Son: I haven’t finished yet. / I’m still eating.

ii)

春美:どこへ行く

久美子:おちゃみにくんだけど、春美も行かない?

Harumi: Where are you going?

Kumiko: I’m going out for a cup of tea. Why don’t you come along?

5. って (tte)

With a rising intonation, indicates a question at the end of a sentence, asking if what one has heard is true. Typical of the spoken language and most often heard between friends or family. Often found in the form of だって (datte), but can also follow a verb(食べるって taberu tte). Without the rising intonation, the question becomes a statement (as in Tomiko’s response in the second sentence below), meaning “I hear that….” English equivalent: “Is it true (as I have heard) that…?”

i)

由香:フランス明日あした試験しけんって

登美子:そうだって、いやねえ。

Yuka: Is it true there’s a French test tomorrow?

Tomiko: That’s what I hear. Ugh!

ii)

高山:部長ぶちょう、もうかえっちゃったんだって?

近藤:そうなんですよ。

Takayarna: The department head’s already gone?

Kondo: That’s correct.

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