か Is Not for Questions Only
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 เม.ย. 2024
- Sentence ending particle か in Japanese is taught as a question particle. Surely, that is one way to use it. But, in real life, か if very frequently used when not asking a question. Maybe even more often than as a question particle. In this video, I will explain the particle か when it's not used as a question particle.
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Just wanted to say your videos are always really informative and you break information down in a way that's very easy to understand, but I especially like that you just say "Hi, I'm Kaname" and get right into it. Please never change that
I absolutely love the "Hi, I'm Kaname" intro then immediately getting into the meat of the video. No unnecessary filler or anything like that. I've gotten to the point where I view "Hi, I'm Kaname" as a good, warming thing. I look forward to hearing it at the start of every video. それが大好き :D
I love this as well. When the video starts I try to say it with him every single time. "HiI'mKaname. In this video..."
Not to mention, you skip the entire "click here, subscribe now, I'll wait BS". Very much appreciated. If I subscribe, it's cuz of your content and not cuz you told me to. 👌
I've never felt like this か *isn't* a question, but as you point out it's not a question toward the listener who is then expected to answer. English has 'rhetorical question' and 'reflection'. Japanese か as you laid out are just reflections, questions to yourself as you evaluate the new information.
yeah, basically "Ah, its a cat, isn't it?" "Ah, its a cat huh?"
To me it always seemed like a verbal question mark, because as you say it applies to any question, whether direct or passive. I always imagined that these were simply different ways of posing a question, rather than seperate meanings of the particle
This is how I viewed it because it then has the same function as the English equivalent. If you watch Japanese media, it becomes pretty clear early on. @@HereChunk2
I agree. They're all rethorical questions and tag questions ("Isn't it?").
a godzilla fanfic at the end of my japanese lesson? dang, we don't deserve you kaname-san
Nah, we do
The more I study Japanese, the more I learn how important ちょっと is for making statements not seem too direct.
I’m just starting and like most who follow a textbook (or attend an online class that rips their curriculum from one without attribution) I learned ちょっと as not only “a little bit” but also to decline an invitation without even finishing the sentence. Super interesting.
This is the Japanese way
@@Owjdnskoakansbskk Yes, but it still actually means "a little bit". It's because the unfinished sentence would be something like ちょっと難しい, or something like that. As in "I'd like to, but it's a little difficult...". That's why it's a polite way to decline the offer just by saying ちょっと... But it still basically means the same thing. It's just that the rest of the sentence is implied.
@@Owjdnskoakansbskk It’s also used if you don’t like something- like to decline a thing. Like if you’re clothes shopping, and someone says how about this shirt? You could just answer with ちょっと, to subtly decline it.
Now I’m invested in Taa-chan’s story 😂 will they get married? I need to know 😭
This guy literally made learning Japanese fun and easy
I'm so happy they planned to get married in the end
I love how much of language is just vibes.
The most part of it 😅
空気読もうか
@@lxiaoqi6275空気だね！
Especially Japanese, it’s so contextual.
@@lxiaoqi6275クッキーだね
Just wanna say that I love the example sentences you provide. It's not an easy thing to do but it's really effective
It sort of feels like the English usage of "huh?"
On paper it's used as a question, but it's more often used to show you understood. "This restaurant is really good, huh?"
Though, tone can also change that to disbelieving... "Oh, he's sick, huh? Why did I just see him at McDonalds?"
I thought they would use ね instead
Isn't that more ね?
Hit or miss
I guess they never miss, huh?
@@ridleyroid9060 ね is used somewhat rhetorically, but usually it asks more of your conversation partner, like you're seeking validation for an opinion or maybe expressing that you're not certain about something. This usage of か asks for nothing in return.
So yes, this is more of a ”ね” situation
It's funny how I totally knew these uses of か, but when I saw the title I thought: "Really? Is か used for anything other than questions?". Kaname does such a good job at analysing and explaining the language.
「か」は終助詞や副助詞として分類され、基本的には疑問を表します。この動画では終助詞を扱っています。
同じ疑問文でも、文脈によって相手への問いかけになったり、自分への問いかけになったり、ためらいを表したり(「買おうか？やめとくか？」)、反語(rhetorical question)を表したり(「そんなことがありえるか？」)、様々な場合があります。
「飲むか？」という疑問文の代わりに語尾を上げずに「飲むか」と言えば、I'll drink sth.といった軽い意志を表す意味に解釈されます。また、「食べに行こうか」(9:28) / 「飲むか！」(9:55) のような形でLet's文のような誘い文句にもなりえます。丁寧に誘う場合は「食べに行きましょうか？」のように言いますが、これも文尾でトーンを上げず「食べに行きましょうか」のようにも言えます。
これら「行こうか」「行きましょうか」などの「う」は意志や決意を表す助動詞なので、「か」を伴わなくとも勧誘の意味になりえます。例えば、「行こう」「行きましょう」は勧誘文句です。この場合も語尾を上げて問いかけるニュアンスを強調することができます。「行こう？」「行きましょう？」のようになります。
また、「か」も「う」も無くても、否定文で語尾を上げれば勧誘になります。「行かない？」「行きません？」のように言います。
勧誘ではなく相手に依頼・提案する場合には違った言い方をします。依頼は「ください」「くれませんか？」を使います。「行ってください」「行ってくれませんか？」のように。友人などに少し乱暴に頼むときは「行ってよ」「忘れないでよ」のように「よ」を使います。「よ」ではなく「ね」を使うと少し和らいだ表現になります。例えば、「行ってよ」より「行ってね」の方が穏やかな言い方です。
「か」の話に戻って、名詞+「か」の形は驚き・感動・安心などを表します。「猫か」は、It was a cat. I see. (1:15) / Oh, a cat. (2:09)などの意味になります。「猫か！」と言えば驚きの意味が明確になります。「猫か〜」のように言えば「物音がして何かと思ってたけどなんだ猫かー」という安心の意味になります。
こんな解説はとても便利だ。ありがとう！
I have a coworker who is a lot like you.
That's very interesting. I always thought そっか was so condescending. Like English "Is that so?". "Oh, really?". Thanks for the clarification 🙏
The first か to me is more like a "huh" in English. "It was a cat, huh."
Bingo. A rhetorical question
yes!
1. Rhetorical か
2. Reflective か
3. Transitional か
4. Volitional/invitational か
Could any of these be replaced by ね？
Your TH-cam Channel really provide a high quality educational content in a real world situation context, Good Job :-)
Kaname, I can't say enough how much I appreciate these videos and your teaching style in general. Once again you've taught me something in less than 10 minutes that I've spent over an hour trying to teach myself previously. I don't know why, but when you teach me something it just clicks the first time. You are seriously gifted as a teacher. Thank you very much.
I've been using か correctly without knowing it and why! But yeah, now I understand, it's someone like my native Spanish "conque", although this is said at the beginning of a sentence rather than at the end.
I just love these videos about Japanese linguistic pragmatics, yours are probably the most detailed in this regard out there. As an autist, 感謝しかできません。These videos even help me to understand pragmatics in my native language n_n
I can't believe the last story, it's exactly what I'm planning to say to my best friend soon XD XD We both are single, and although I already passed the 30, my bestie not yet. I hope her response it's like the one of this story XD XD
頑張ってね 💪
「か」か、わかりました。
Hi Kaname先生! Is there any way you can go over the Japanese words for "situation/circumstance" (事情,状態,状況,情勢,形勢,事態,実態,実情,現状,場合,様子,都合,etc.)? There's a ridiculous amount, each with their own nuance. It would be nice if there was a video about it.
I didnt even realize that was a thing, but im curious too now
Every Japanese learner has crossed with 状態, 実態, 状況 and 現状 and wondered what truly differs one from the other. These guys are so confusing even after you've learned them! A video dedicated to it would be very useful. この凄く超便利な動画を楽しみに！
Same happens in indian languages too
for instance, in Marathi language the sentance "असा का "=(aasa ka)
when said with sigh, it means" i see"
Same happens with hindi, and other languages
Also the sentence structure of most of the indian languages is same as that of Japanese
I feel so lucky😅
Great video, Kaname. These probably take a lot of time to plan, shoot, and edit.
I especially loved the TV edit with the Minako bit. 😁👌
Thanks for the lesson! ありがとうございます！
Now the phrase そうですか makes so much more sense. I always thought its a question.
yess
It CAN be a question, depending on how you say it. You can ask someone, "そですか？” with a rising tone. In this case, it means, "Is that so?" or something similar. Or you can use it in a falling tone, like Kaname did, and it means something like, "I see..." or "Got it."
Shouldn't be too strange to an English-speaker. Not 1-to-1 but similar vibe to saying "oh yeah?", "is that right?", "really?" etc.
Depending on how it's asked it's either a genuine question or just an indication that the information is received.
The best Japanese Language channel on TH-cam! I learn so much with every video. Keep up the good work!
I just found your channel yesterday and I’m in love with your videos!! You explain everything very well and you have a lot of examples that make it much much easier to understand. I love hearing you speak Japanese! It’s so beautiful 😍
Thank you for your quality content!
Love how I got used to using か like this so easily since Malay has it the same way.
Sou desu ka! So many new words with every video :)
I needed this video thank you very much
Thank you for all the efforts. Appreciate it much ! 🌻
And yet another great video. Thank you for sharing knowledge, sir.
いつも教えてくれてありがとう🙏
Your videos are so great. Thank you for making such awesome, detailed, 丁寧な content!
Big "THANKS" for this. It was something I was looking for to understand since a long time.
I loooved your examples! Keep up your great contents plz. Liked and subscribed!
Thanks for the informative video ^_^ We do the same thing in Turkish, we use "mı?" to form a question, generally at the end of the sentences. Also do the thing in the video, like:
"Ramen yemeye(to eat) gidelim(to go) mi? (question particle) "
-"Ramen mi? Olur (all right)!"
I'm halfway in Japanese A1 and it's kinda easier to grasp some stuff. I also wondered if it was okay to use か in the same way. I thought it should be okay because I'm kinda used to hearing Japanese stuff but now that I learned we do the same :D
Great video as always!
Subscribed ❤
Thank you for your very informative videos!
It's always a pleasure to watch them, I always learn something new.
Lately I've been struggling with 入る (いる) and 入る (はいる), I know the difference between transitive and intransitive but it remains difficult to know which one to use (or how to read it in a text). I don't know if it fits the type of videos you're doing but, maybe I'm not the only one struggling with this! 良かったら、入る について説明していただけますでしょうか?
Your teaching method is the best i encountered.
Dear Kaname, thank you for the awesome videos!
Please make a video on the words 出る and 出す. Thank you for your amazing videos ☺
Hi Kaname, I really enjoy your style of teaching Japanese. Could you maybe do a video about わけ? I cannot wrap my head around it :(
Dude, I love your videos. Each time I come for the helpful lesson, but I *stay* to find out exactly how today's example scenarios are going to go completely nuts. Love it! Never change!
毎回かなめ先生のわかりやすい説明に助かっています。よろしければ、次は「あく」と「ひらく」の違い方について説明してもらえませんか？漢字が同じなのんで、この問題がずっと気になりました
Very cool! It's like /ka/ is a counterpart to /yo/. Thank you!
そうですか。教え諭してくれてありがとうございます！
New Kaname video let's goooooooooo
Kaname, your videos are the best! There are many channels that teach japanese that I love, and your channel is definitely my favorite!
The way you teach, the examples, even the speed that you speak (not too slow and not too fast), everything is perfect.
Thank you for your wonderful lessons!
Greetings from Brazil!
You're so funny, Kaname! You're a great teacher!
Thanks, very helpful!
I see it could use as “huh” like “It’s cat, huh”
ty
Its like the equivalent to the Canadian "eh" or the American "is it" that is a reflective statement.
can you do a video on the difference between は and が. i've been stuck on this for so long, like i've been learning everything else just fine but は and が is so confusing. i mean, there are even conflicting information when i search up this so it would be really nice if you could do a video on that, thank you
thank you sensei
It can be translated into a question in English too. The 「か」can be translated as "huh?", to more closely feel what the 「か」does. For example, to translate「猫か。」, instead of "Oh I see, it's just a cat." you could translate to something like "Oh I see, it's just a cat, huh?", which uses structure of an interrogative sentence, but its function aligns more closely to some form of a declarative sentences or of a rhetorical question (not looking for an answer / gives the impression of talking to yourself).
Edit: I saw you starting to use "huh." later in the video. I guess it can both have or not have a question mark, depending on the exact tone that want's to be portrayed.
『ああ、刑事か。』was also translated as "Oh, that cop? I see." in the video, showing how that kind of 「か」can be though of as a question.
thank you for all your videos! you have such a natural, straightforward way of explaining things that makes them very easy to understand, at least speaking personally. today's lesson turned out to be something I was already aware of, but your way of laying out all the situations/nuances this use of か can carry has cemented the knowledge more clearly in my mind. while a lot of my personal learning style is through casual observation/absorbing stuff from Japanese language material I watch/read/listen to (never had the opportunity for a proper class), your channel serves as a really good resource to polish up the details and learn things new to me as well.
This is a good channel.
You are a good teacher, especially of Japanese language nuances that foreigners like me are having a difficult time understanding. Thank you for thoughtfully making videos like this.
Super interesting! Do you think you could make chapters in the future though, so that we can easily review the important points and maybe go back to watching them?
Great video as always! Man I wish you did a video on こと, that thing is driving me crazy.
Arigatou so much this is very helpful
You should make a book with full of real Japanese conversation , must be great 😅
Thank you, sensei.
I went to beginners Japanese class. They should have taught this from the beginning, or least tell us か isn’t used for questions only and explain the details later.
It's not exactly a beginner's lesson. You need to actually know how to make actual sentences first before this.
かなめさんいつもありがとうございます
You have such a great way of explaining things with so many examples. Always looking forward to your videos!
Hi, you are Kaname and I love your videos!!!!
This small think makes me sound a lot less like a robot.
incredibly helpful! Makes sense, need some time to think first while also letting ppl know you understood. Especially since i've heard cities like Tokyo are constantly in a rush!
Aah so it's like you're reflecting back at your question so you have to put か at the end and end the sentence with falling tone.
There's one more usage I'm curious to learn more about: My Japanese friends often used verb+か in casual situations to convey that something is impossible or ridiculous, like for example できるか！ to say that something is impossible to do for them or 知るか！to express 'How would I know about this/I don't care about this'. I don't know if that basically sums up this usage or is there more to that, like some nuances or otherwise different/deeper expressions - would greatly appreciate to have this clarified :)
家 Mangaka , 耶 ?..化 something is realized etc , ( i think this is the one you referred to)
Do you think that it helps to learn Kanji associated with these grammar points?
I've been finding this extremely useful myself , as I can visually tie the Kana か to a proper meaning instead of just "か" instead of everytime I hear it thinking a question is being asked.
Another great video. Thank you for making them more lately.
It is still a question; it's just a rhetorical question. English and probably almost every single language on earth uses questions like this.
*rhetorical question*
a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.
Also I hope the other couple get married. Sounds like they actually like each other
Thank you for this interesting video! I hadn’t really realized か can have so many uses. The reason for this is that my mother tongue Finnish (not related to Japanese) has an exactly similar ending particle -ko (or -kö, wherever demanded by vowel harmony). There are some practical differences: -ko is not a sentence ending particle but attaches itself to nouns or verbs, and it is not used with question words but only in questions you can, at least in principle, answer with a yes or a no. That said, all the uses feel very much the same: it can be used as a question, as an invitation, as self-reflection (rhetorical question) etc. Instinctively it feels exactly the same as the Japanese か, down to the virtual space in front of you where you look self-reflectively. When I first heard か in the beginning of my Japanese studies, I felt as if I had no need to translate it - it felt so familiar. Just wanted to share this amazement. The two languages aren’t similar in all respects but there are some striking similarities like this. Another similarity would be the three-way deictic system of type この、その、あの (tämä, tuo, se) instead of the Indo-European two-way system (this, that).
Dude, I was literally looking up how to get to Umeda while i had this on in the background. Wtf
I have the feeling there are even more uses of か, or I am not able to fully recognize them as one of the mentioned uses. For example どこへ目指すのかわからない, somehow bundles the statement before か and then passes judgement on it, in this case "i don't know". Cure Dolly made an even more clendestine example and this was the only time I didn't quite follow her explanation. It was まるで幽霊を見たかのような顔をした. I would have just said まるで幽霊を見たような顔をした, I do not understand the か related grammar here. Maybe there could be an "advanced followup" for this video
Very instructive! Thank you!
There is another use of か that I would like to know more about. For example, in Detective Conan, when the culprit tries to escape, Conan says: 逃がすか！ which I understand as "Don't you dare fleeing!", although a more literal translation would be like "You really think I'm gonna let you escape?"
Another example, A asks to B a stupid question, B angrily responds 知るか! like "As if I knew!"
Any insight on this usage?
逃がすか is I'll NEVER let you escape.
知るか is I NEVER know.
They are 逃さない & 知らない more strong-willed and emotional.
I think one of the 反意表現.
This is a usage that strongly conveys the opposite meaning by ending the sentence with a question form.
Aだろうか、いや、Aであるはずがない。
This sentence emphasizes that it is not A.
そんなことがあるだろうか。
This sentence ends in a question form.That part has been omitted
(いや、あるはずがない)
「逃がすだろうか、いや、逃すはずがない」omit and simplify →「逃がすか」
The meaning is a strong negative, so it means " I'll NEVER let you escape."
There are some forms of 知るか that are not often abbreviated.
知ったことではない,知ったことか,more casually form 知ったこっちゃない.
知っているだろうか、いや、知っているはずがない
This sentence is also a strong negative.
"It doesn't matter whether I know or not, it doesn't matter."
@@nanarain9960 Got it, thank you!
そうですか、分かりました。😅
i like that u added San for both Godzilla and Mothra 😂😂
ur skits are always entertaining. thanks for breaking down nuances into details and simple examples. i just came across to one of yr videos on youtube and now i think u're my new sensei! 😄😄
It would have been awesome if you had explained the conditional part of this.
Again thanks to you!
I’ve learned that « だろう » is not used a lot in daily conversation; And you used a lot here; any video on it one day? thx.
フランスからありがとう😀
Im not sure why a text book would say that but Darou/deshou is used quite a bit in Japanese. Darou is probably more casual and deshou is a bit more polite. Its used to express something you think will happen/might happen eg. Its starting to drip water from the sky and you look up and say 雨がふるだろう〜 (its surely/likely going to rain). You can also use darou in with a rising pitch as more of a query (ジョンさんが来るだろう？ Surely John is coming right?). Saying something like this makes it seem like you are very sure John will come while saying John-san ga kuru no desu ka is more of a neutral question. This is at least how it feels to me. Used by itself it can also function like “desu ne”. Eg. Person 1: 黒猫はかわいいですね (black cats are sooo cute) Person 2: でしょうー(arent they?)
Kaname San, can you please make a video about the べき form?
Hello! One topic I think could really benefit from your style of education and your examples would be the differences between these words: 事態, 状況, 立場, 様子, 境遇, 形勢, 場合, 状態, 事情
They basically all blur together for me, and I don't know which ones to use. Thanks!
Oh boy, here I go learning again!
I learned this naturally from my students always saying 「あっ！そういうことか！」
I've always understood か as a question, and I think that with respect to an English translation you still can frame ねこか as "A cat, is it?" which even in English isn't a question, even though it sounds like one - it's more of a self-reflective acknowledgement of the fact that it is, in fact, a cat.
Similarly with そうか, I get the same impression as someone in English saying, "That's right, isn't it?" which again isn't really a question, and more of an agreement over what was previously said.
There is no way he had a jbl speaker closer to him than a phone
i get what you are tring to say, however technically what you described is still a question,
but now, it is a rhetorical one. especially with "the cat" example.
so its still a question, but rather than a question directed at someone else. Its used as a question directed at yourself. Kind of like "Do you want spaghetti" you say to yourself "Do I want spaghetti?" which would look and serve a similar purpose.
I love that he takes advantage of his command of the english language to explain the mechanics of japanese. "When I say 'Oooh, I see, I see' I am not gazing at you. That would be weird." Using that to contextualize the functions of foreign language makes such a huge difference.
This goes out to everyone using their Bluetooth speaker as a phone.
カナメ先生、複雑な言葉「沙汰」を説明してください、見たところ「state, situation」だけでなく、他の意味もあるようです
🎉We do the same in English, (England English). When, for instance a friend asks if you want to go eat ramen and before answering 'Yes or No' you think about it. It's like thinking out loud; "Do I really want to eat ramen" ( The emphasis is on the really.
I feel like this usage of 'ka' in the early example is more like a "was it?"
"Oh, just a cat, was it?"
Thanks :3
This seems like the same kind of usage as I've seen in anime. For example "じゃ、寝るか" gets subbed as "Well, I guess I'll go to bed".
However, there is another usage that I don't think was explained in this video.
Sometimes a character will say something like "知るか？！" which gets subbed as "How should I know?!"
Could you explain this usage?
Rhetorical question?
Yes, as to indicate understanding and acceptance of the information or situation.
A rhetorical question is a question that you don't want the other person to respond to.
@coltynstone-lamontagne
I know the definition of rhetorical question. This usage of か seems to be a rhetorical question
Innit.
状態、状況、条件 can you explain when to use those words? thank you😊
I like the way you talk, even when I’m not reading the subtitles and just listening I can easily understand what you’re saying, your videos are very informative!! 🫶
あ、ないと先生 released a new video! Thanks again for the awesome, thorough explanation. Hey, can you do your next video on ちょっと？ This word seems to have so many uses.