particle N4 common casualpolitewritten
〜か〜か — whether ~ or ~
〜か〜か
Meaning
- whether ~ or ~ — brackets two alternatives as an open, undecided question
Key sentence
それが本当か嘘か分からない。
I don't know whether it's true or a lie.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clause/Noun か + Clause/Noun か | X か Y か（〜） | コーヒーか紅茶か (coffee or tea?) |
Examples
田中さんか佐藤さんか、どちらかが来る。
Either Tanaka or Sato will come.
賛成か反対か、はっきりしてほしい。
I want you to be clear about whether you're for or against.
Easily confused with
〜か〜ないか か〜か lists two distinct alternatives (A or B: 賛成か反対か). か〜ないか poses a yes/no on one action (行くか行かないか = 'whether or not to go'). か (or) Plain A か B just offers a choice between nouns ('tea or coffee'). か〜か brackets BOTH options with か, framing the whole thing as an embedded question, usually under 分からない・決める・聞く.
Notes
- Typically closes with a verb of (not) knowing or deciding — 分からない, 迷う, 決める, 聞く — because the か〜か bundle is an embedded question.
See 〜か〜か in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜か〜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, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.