Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 8: 10/18

かどうか

Whether or not, If...or not

Structure

Verb + か + どう + か + Phrase
［い］Adjective + か + どう + か + Phrase
［な］Adjective + か + どう + か + Phrase
Noun + か + どう + か + Phrase

Details

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    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About かどうか

かどうか is an expression in Japanese which combines the 'or' meaning of か, with the 'how' meaning of どう. (A) かどうか (B) is regularly translated as 'whether or not (A), (B)'.
To use かどうか, simply attach it to the end of any phrase that you want to express the 'or' use of か about, then add the (B) phrase.
  • サチコと付(つ)き合(あ)うかどうか分(わ)からない。
    I don't know whether or not I will go out with Sachiko.
  • 水(みず)が汚(きたな)いからこの川(かわ)が深(ふか)いかどうか分(わ)からない。
    Since the water is dirty, I don't know whether or not this river is deep.
  • この携帯(けいたい)が便利(べんり)かどうか分(わ)からない。
    I don't know whether or not this cell phone is useful.
  • 目(め)が悪(わる)いからあそこにいるのが父親(ちちおや)かどうかわからない。
    Because I have bad eyes, I don't know whether or not the person over there is my father.
Although 'whether or not' is the standard translation, the more literal translation of かどうか is 'if it's (A), or however it is, (B)'.

Examples

  • 旅行(りょこう)に行(い)けるかどうかわからない。

    I don't know whether or not I can go on a trip.

  • この食(た)べ物(もの)は美味(おい)しいかどうかわからないので、食(た)べてみたい。

    Because I don't know whether or not it is delicious, I want to try eating this food.

  • サンタさんがいるかどうか探(さが)しています。

    People are searching for whether or not Santa exists.

  • まだ日本(にほん)に行(い)けるかどうか、分(わ)からない。

    I don't know whether or not I still can go to Japan.

  • 今(いま)の動物(どうぶつ)は犬(いぬ)かどうか分(わ)からないけど、怖(こわ)かった。

    I don't know whether or not the animal I just saw was a dog, but it was frightening.

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かどうか – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (4 in total)

  • Pushindawood

    Pushindawood

    @DonChanHype Done! Thanks for drawing this to our attention. Cheers!

  • Isurandil492

    Isurandil492

    Considering this example sentence:

    まだ日本に行けるかどうか分からない。

    What tells me that the まだ connects with 分からない and not 行ける?

    How would I express “I don’t know whether I can still go to Japan.”?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey @Isurandil492 !

    To be honest, without context

    まだ日本に行けるかどうか分からない。

    can be understood as both
    “I don’t know whether I can still go to Japan.” and " I still don’t know whether or not I can go to Japan."

    If one wants to be clear then we can move まだ and add some pauses:

    私は日本に行けるかどうか、まだ分かりません。
    " I still don’t know whether or not I can go to Japan."

    まだ日本に行けるかどうか、私は分かりません。
    I don’t know whether I can still go to Japan.

    I hope it helps,
    Cheers!

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