Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 3: 12/18

かなI wonder

Structure

Sentence + かな

Details

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About かな

Originally a mixture of the sentence ending particles , and な, かな evolved over time to become its own (singular) sentence ending particle, which roughly translates as 'I wonder if (A)?'.

As it is a sentence ending particle, かな can be added to the end of almost any sentence. However, in the case of な-adjectives, both だ and です will usually be omitted, with かな simply following the word stem itself.

Combining the meanings and な, we can see where かな gets its original meaning. presents questions (usually to other people), while な shows that a statement is related purely to the speaker's own thoughts/opinions. In this way, かな expresses that the speaker's own thoughts are being questioned.

Fun Fact

In the past, かな was thought of as being a fairly feminine way to express 'I wonder', and males tended to use phrases like だろうか to express the same type of statement. However, in modern day Japanese, かな is used by both men and women equally.

Examples

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    もうすぐ()()かな

    I wonder if we will go eat soon...

    明日(あした)運動(うんどう)した(ほう)がいいかな

    I wonder, if I should exercise tomorrow...

    今週末(こんしゅうまつ)友達(ともだち)()えるかな

    I wonder if I can meet my friends this weekend...

    冷蔵庫(れいぞうこ)にケーキまだあるかな

    I wonder if there is still cake in the fridge.

    (かあ)さん(なに)くれるかな

    I wonder what my mom will give me.

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かな – Grammar Discussion