modality N2 uncommon writtenpolite
〜ようか〜まいか — whether to ~ or not
〜ようか〜まいか ・ ようかまいか
Builds on 意向形
Meaning
- whether to ~ or not — wavering between doing something and not doing it, about one's own action
Pairs the volitional 〜ようか ('shall I ~?') with its negative まい ('or not ~?') to describe the speaker agonising over a decision that is theirs to make. 留学しようか(し)まいか、ずっと迷っている ('I keep agonising over whether or not to study abroad'). It typically feeds a verb of deliberation — 迷う・悩む・考える. Because it uses the volitional, the choice is always about the speaker's *own* intended action, not a yes/no fact.
Key sentence
彼に本当のことを言おうか言うまいか、迷っている。
I'm torn over whether or not to tell him the truth.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Same verb: volitional + か, then dictionary/stem + まいか | V(volitional) + か + V(dict) + まいか | 行こうか行くまいか / 買おうか買うまいか |
When: Describes the speaker's own internal indecision; the main clause is usually 迷う・悩む or a deliberation verb.
Examples
この服を買おうか買うまいか、まだ決められない。
I still can't decide whether or not to buy these clothes.
パーティーに参加しようかしまいか、ずいぶん悩んだ。
I agonised quite a bit over whether or not to go to the party.
声をかけようかかけまいかと、ためらってしまった。
I hesitated, unsure whether or not to call out to him.
Easily confused with
〜かどうか かどうか asks 'whether or not (it is the case)' about any yes/no question, often someone else's situation (来るかどうか分からない). ようか〜まいか specifically frames the speaker wavering over *their own* intended action. まい まい alone is 'surely won't ~ / I won't ~'; here its negative-volition force supplies the 'or not' half that pairs with the 〜ようか 'shall I ~' half. 〜ようとする ようとする = actually attempting/being about to do; ようか〜まいか is still stuck at the *deciding* stage, not yet acting.
Notes
- The second half is often clipped to (し)まいか with the verb stem, but the dictionary form (するまいか) is equally correct.
See 〜ようか〜まいか in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ようか〜まいか the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.