This combination indicates that the sentence is a question. The
intonation should be accordingly.
| |
明日、買います。 (Ashita, kaimasu.)
I'll buy it tomorrow.
明日、買いますか。 (Ashita, kaimasu ka.)
Are you going to buy it tomorrow? |
| |
When using the informal form, か (ka) is often left out. Men may
use it on occasion to sound tough, but women are preferred not to
use it.
| |
明日、買う? (Ashita, kau?)
Are you going to buy it tomorrow?
明日、買うか。 (Ashita, kau ka.)
Are you going to buy it tomorrow, or what? |
| |
As you can see, when the particle "ka" is dropped, a
question mark is placed at the end of the sentence. This is to be
able to distinguish between a question and a statement. When "ka"
is written no question mark is used.
When two sentences ending on the particle か (ka) follow each othe
they are often combined in the translation with "or".
| |
来ますか。来ませんか。 (Kimasu ka. Kimasen ka.)
Will you, or won't you be coming over?
買うか。売るか。 (Kau ka. Uru ka.)
Will you be buying or selling? |
| |
Rentaikei + かどうか (ka dou ka)
This construction is used for combining a positive question and
it's negative counterpart in one.
| |
高かったかどうか。 (Takakatta ka
dou ka.)
Was it expensive or wasn't it?
行けますかどうか。 (Ikemasu ka dou ka.)
Will you be able to go or not?. |
| |
Rentaikei + かな (ka na) or かなあ (ka naa)
This is a simple dubitative. It illustrates a certain amount of
doubt you have concerning the statement you just made. かなあ (ka naa)
conveys a larger amount of doubt than かな (ka na).
| |
仙台に行けるかな。 (Sendai ni ikeru
ka na.)
I wonder if I can go to Sendai.
兄ちゃんが買い物しましたかなあ。 (Nii-chan ga kaimono shimashita
ka naa.)
I doubt that my brother did the groceries. |
| |
Rentaikei + かも知れない (ka mo shirenai)
The combination "ka mo shirenai" or "ka
mo shiremasen" means "maybe" or "perhaps".
In speech often abbreviated to "ka mo".
| |
行くかも知れません。 |
(Iku ka mo shiremasen.) |
Maybe I'll go. |
| |
買うかも知れない。 |
(Kau ka mo shirenai.) |
I might buy it. |
| |
高くないかも。 |
(Takakunai ka mo.) |
Perhaps it's not expensive. |
| |
NOTE: In combination with "ka
mo shirenai" the preceding verb cannot be in the polite form.
Also the contracted verb だ (da) is dropped before the particle か
(ka). These are absolute no-nos:
| |
行きますかも知れません。 (Ikimasu ka mo shiremasen.)
(incorrect)
高いですかも知れない。 (Takai
desu ka mo shirenai.) (incorrect)
大阪だかも。
(Osaka da ka mo.) (incorrect) |
| |
Rentaikei + かしら (ka shira)
かしら (ka shira) means "I wonder if" or "maybe".
"Ka shira" is the femine form of "ka mo shirenai"
and describes a greater amount of doubt than "ka mo shirenai"
does.
| |
行くかしら。 |
(Iku ka shira.) |
I wonder if I'll go. |
| |
買うかしら。 |
(Kau ka shira.) |
Maybe I'll buy it. |
| |
高くないかしら。 |
(Takakunai ka shira.) |
It might not be expensive |
| |
NOTE: In combination with "ka
shira" the preceding verb cannot be in the polite form. Also
the contracted verb だ (da) is dropped before the particle か (ka).
| |
行きますかしら。 (Ikimasu ka shira.)
(incorrect)
高いですかしら。 (Takai desu
ka shira.) (incorrect)
大阪だかしら。
(Osaka da ka shira.) (incorrect) |
| |
There is no polite form for "ka shira." For situations
where politeness is required you should use "ka mo shiremasen."
Related pages:
Rentaikei
+ の (no)
Dubitative
forms
Interrogative
forms
Making
requests
Negative
forms
The particle "か"
(ka)
The particle "の"
(no) |
