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Grammar detail: 〜なのか

〜なのか
(question)
74 words
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A は B なのか
means
is A (equivalent to) B?
This useful expression is an extension of the のか embedded question form.
「
あさくさ
浅草
はなぜ
にほんいち
日本一
の
はんかがい
繁華街
なのか」 title of book, album etc.
Why Is Asakusa the Best Shopping District in Japan?
わら
笑
い
は
にんげん
人間
だけの
とくしつ
特質
なのか。
Is laughter a quality of man only?
これが
じんせい
人生
なのか。
Is this my life?
The meaning is loosely the same without the なの (i.e., A は B か?), but the addition of なの 'softens' the sentence somewhat.
Note: not to be confused with the noun meaning the seventh day of the month!
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Kanji used in this grammar

浅
セン   あさい shallow, superficial   
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草
ソウ   くさ grass   
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日
ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
本
ホン   book   もと origin   
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一
イチ   イツ   ひとつ    ひと- one   
繁
ハン    luxuriant, thickly growing   
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華
カ   ケ   China; Chinese   はな flower; showy; China   
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街
カイ   ガイ   まち town, thoroughfare, street   
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笑
ショウ   わらう to laugh   えむ to smile   
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人
ジン   ニン   ひと person   
間
カン   ケン   あいだ interval, between   ま space, room   
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特
トク    special   
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質
シツ   シチ   チ    quality; substance   
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生
セイ   ショウ    life   なま raw   いかす to enliven   いきる to live   いける to arrange flowers   うまれる to be born   うむ to give birth to   き pure, undiluted   おう to grow, to sprout   はえる to grow, to sprout   はやす to grow, cultivate   
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