Components

Grammar detail: X か Y

X か Y  X or Y
174 words
My current mastery of this grammar point:
LOG IN to view grammar mastery data
X か Y
means
X or Y
In Japanese, か can be used to connect two (or more) choices. When it is used this way, it means “or.”
  • コーヒー
    おちゃ
    - coffee or tea
  • げつようび
    月曜日
    かようび
    火曜日
    - Monday or Tuesday
  • バス
    でんしゃ
    電車
    - bus or train
There is no comma and no extra word. Just か between the two options.
彼  は  バス  か  電車  で  学校  に  来る  。
Listen
バス 電車 学校 来る
かれ バス でんしゃ がっこう くる
He (topic marker) bus or train by school to come .
He comes to school by bus or train.
私  は  お茶  か  コーヒー  が  飲みたい  。
Listen
お茶 コーヒー 飲みたい
わたし おちゃ コーヒー のみたい
I (topic marker) tea or coffee (subject marker) would like to drink .
I would like tea or coffee.
花田  駅  か  糸川  駅  から  乗ります  。
Listen
花田 糸川 から 乗ります
はなだ えき いとかわ えき から のります
Hanada Station or Itokawa Station from take .
He will take a train from Hanada Station or Itokawa Station.
Using か in questions
X ですか、Y ですか
means
Is it X or Y?
  • きょう
    今日
    ですか、
    あした
    明日
    ですか。 Is it today or tomorrow?
  • あつ
    ところ
    ですか、
    さむ
    ところ
    ですか。 Is it a cold place or a hot place?
現金  です  か  、  クレジット  です  か  。
Listen
現金 です クレジット です
げんきん です クレジット です
Cash   or , charge   (question marker) .
Cash or charge?
Using か to connect verbs
Verb (plain form) + か + Verb (plain form) + か
  • かない- go or not go
  • いえ
    べる
    べに
    - eat at home or go out to eat
私  が  勝つ  か  負ける  か  、  わかりません  。
Listen
勝つ 負ける わかりません
わたし かつ まける わかりません
I (subject marker) win or lose (alternative marker) , don't know .
I don't know whether I will win or lose.
行く  か  行かない  か  は  天気  次第  です  。
Listen
行く 行かない 天気 次第 です
いく いかない てんき しだい です
go or don't go (alternative marker) (topic marker) weather depend is .
Whether we go or not depends on the weather.
Be careful!
か has two main uses:
  1. At the end of a sentence → makes a question
  2. 行きます。 Are you going?
  3. Between two items → means “or”
  4. コーヒー
    おちゃ
    - coffee or tea
Please LOG IN for free flashcards

Kanji used in this grammar

チャ   サ    tea   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ガツ   ゲツ   つき month; moon   
ヨウ    day of the week   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
カ   fire   ひ    ほ-    
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
デン    electricity   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シャ   くるま car   
コン   キン   いま now   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
メイ   ミョウ   あかり light   あかるい bright   あかるむ to brighten   あからむ to become luminous (at dawn)   あきらか obvious   あかす to lay bare   あ to open   あける to empty   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ショ   あつ hot (weather)   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ショ   ところ place   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
カン   さむ cold   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
カ   ケ   house   いえ    や    
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   く to eat   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
Problem with this grammar? Question or comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language. To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard. You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly. For an overview, take the tour.
×