かどうか
Meaning
- 1Expresses whether something is the case with a verb of knowing or not knowing.Ex. 1
- 2Expresses what needs to be checked: whether something is the case.Ex. 2
Formation
Verb (plain form)＋かどうか
i-adj. (plain form)＋かどうか
na-adj. stem＋かどうか
Noun＋かどうか
PastPast form＋かどうか来たかどうか、静かだったかどうか、学生だったかどうか
Particlesかどうか＋をがは行くかどうかを決める
Examples
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Usage
Neutral in register and common in both speech and writing, かどうか embeds a yes/no question before verbs such as 分かる and 確認する. か否か is a more formal or literary option, not a required replacement in formal writing.
Watch out
Do not put だ before かどうか after a noun or な-adjective in the non-past.
Do not use かどうか for an embedded question asking who, when, or another question word; use か.
Note that the clause before かどうか normally uses plain forms, even when the main sentence is polite.
Easily confused with
- か否かN1「か否か」means essentially the same as 「かどうか」and the two are interchangeable, but it has a strong written flavor and a stiff tone, appearing mostly in academic papers, official documents, and news reports and rarely in casual conversation. After nouns and な-adjectives, you can also add 「である」, as in 「事実であるか否か」.
- かN5「か」asks a direct question at the end of a sentence and can also present a choice with 「〜か、〜か」, whereas 「かどうか」never asks a question on its own—instead it embeds a yes/no question into a sentence as its content. Clauses containing question words take only 「か」; you cannot add 「かどうか」.
- か〜かN5「か〜か」presents two options, A and B, asking 'is it A or B,' and can also be used to ask directly and let the listener choose, while 「かどうか」only asks whether or not. As an indirect question, 「行くか行かないか」≈「行くかどうか」, and the two are interchangeable.
- それともN3「かどうか」embeds a yes/no question into a sentence as the content of verbs like 「分かる」and 「確認する」, asking only 'whether or not,' while 「それとも」connects two or more questions and asks the listener to pick one, like 'or' in English. The two cannot be interchanged.
か否か is more formal or literary, while か can also embed questions and is used with question words. か〜か explicitly lists two alternatives; それとも links alternatives in a direct question.
