particle N1 uncommon writtenliterary
〜か否か — whether or not ~
〜か否か ・ かいなか
Builds on 〜かどうか
Meaning
- whether or not ~ — a formal, written equivalent of かどうか
Key sentence
計画を続けるか否か、慎重に判断すべきだ。
We must carefully decide whether or not to continue the plan.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain form (verb / i-adj plain, noun / na-adj + である) | [plain form] + か否か | 事実である → 事実か否か |
When: Formal and written — documents, editorials, legal text. In speech, use かどうか.
Examples
その情報が正しいか否か、確かめる必要がある。
We need to verify whether or not that information is correct.
参加するか否かは、本人の自由だ。
Whether or not to participate is up to the individual.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 否 is the literary word for 'no / nay' — literally 'whether (yes) or no'.
See 〜か否か in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜か否か the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.