「さて、今日は何をして遊ぼうかな…」
= Sate, kyou wa nani wo shite asobou kana…
= Hmm…what should I play with today.
Hi everyone!
Today’s guest teacher is ミツ先生 ( = Mitsu sensei)
You might remember Mitsu sensei from this lesson.
We love his adorable face! 😍
OK, ミツ先生( = Mitsu Sensei) 今日のレッスンよろしく！( = Kyou no ressun yoroshiku!) Thank you for today’s lesson in advance!
みなさん、こんにちは！
= Minasan, Konnichiwa!
= Hello, everyone!
ミツです。僕のこと覚えてる？
= Mitsu desu. Boku no koto oboeteru?
= I’m Mitsu. Do you remember me?
僕もTeam Maggieに入っていますよ。
= Boku mo Team Maggie ni haitte imasuyo.
= I am also a member of Team Maggie.
Today I will teach you the casual suffix, かな ( = kana).
⭐️ How to form:
🔸 verb (plain form) + かな ( = kana)
★present tense:
* 遊ぶ ( = asobu) to play + かな ( = kana)
遊ぶかな ( = asobu kana)
★present – negative:
* 遊ばない ( = asobanai) not to play + かな ( = kana)
遊ばないかな ( = asobanai kana)
★past tense:
* 遊んだ ( = asonda) played + かな ( = kana)
遊んだかな ( = asonda kana)
★past tense – negative :
* 遊ばなかった ( = asobanakatta) didn’t play + かな ( = kana)
遊ばなかったかな ( = asobanakatta kana)
★present progressive:
* 遊んでいる ( = asonde iru) to be playing + かな ( = kana)
遊んでいるかな ( = asonde iru kana)
★present progressive – negative:
＊遊んでいない ( = asonde inai) was/were not playing + かな ( = kana)
遊んでいないかな ( = asonde inakatta kana)
★past progressive:
* 遊んでいた ( = asonde ita) was/were playing + かな ( = kana)
遊んでいたかな ( = asonde ita kana)
★past progressive – negative:
＊遊んでいなかった ( = asonde inakatta) was/were not playing + かな ( = kana)
遊んでいなかったかな ( = asonde inakatta kana)
🔸 noun / pronoun / demonstrative pronoun + かな ( = kana)
* 犬 ( = inu) a dog + かな ( = kana)
犬かな ( = inu kana)
* これ ( = kore) this + かな ( = kana)
これかな ( = kore kana)
* 私 ( = watashi) me + かな ( = kana)
私かな ( = watashi kana)
★negative:
*犬ではない ( = inu dewa nai) not a dog + かな ( = kana)
犬ではないかな ( = inu dewa nai kana)
★present tense – negative – casual :
* 犬じゃない ( = inu ja nai) not a dog + かな ( = kana)
犬じゃないかな ( = inu ja nai kana)
★past tense – negative :
*マギーではなかった ( = Maggie dewa nakatta ) was not Maggie + かな ( = kana)
マギーではなかったかな ( = Maggie dewa nakatta kana)
★past tense – negative (casual)
*マギーじゃなかった ( = Maggie ja nakatta) was not Maggie + かな ( = kana)
マギーじゃなかったかな ( = Maggie ja nakatta kana)
🔸 interrogative + かな ( = kana)
* 誰 ( = dare) who + かな ( = kana)
誰かな ( = kana)
* どこ ( = doko) where + かな ( = kana)
どこかな ( = doko kana)
★past tense:
*誰だった ( = daredatta) who was it + かな ( = kana)
誰だったかな ( = daredatta kana)
🔸 *i-adjective (plain form) + かな ( = kana)
* 難しい ( = muzukashii) difficult + かな ( = kana)
難しいかな ( = muzukashii kana)
★past tense:
* 難しかった ( = muzukashikatta) was difficult + かな ( = kana)
難しかったかな ( = muzukashikatta kana)
★past tense – negative:
* 難しくなかった ( = muzukashikunakatta) was not difficult + かな ( = kana)
難しくなかったかな ( = muzukashiku nakatta kana)
🔸na-adjective
Delete な ( = na) from the plain form
元気な ( = genki na) energetic, healthy, fine
元気 ( = genki) + かな ( = kana)
元気かな ( = genki kana)
★na- adjective – negative:
*元気ではない ( = genki dewa nai ) not energetic, healthy, fine + かな ( = kana)
元気ではないかな ( = genki dewa nai kana)
:u:
★ na- adjective – negative – casual:
*元気じゃない ( = genki janai) not energetic, healthy, fine + かな ( = kana)
元気じゃないかな ( = genki ja nai kana)
★ past tense:
* 元気だった ( = genki datta) was energetic, healthy, fine + かな ( = kana)
元気だったかな ( = genki datta kana)
★ past tense – negative:
* 元気ではなかった ( = genki de (wa nakatta) was not energetic, healthy, fine + かな ( = kana)
元気ではなかったかな ( = genki dewa nakatta kana)
↓
★past tense – negative – casual :
* 元気じゃなかった ( = genki ja nakatta kana) was not energetic, healthy, fine + かな ( = kana)
元気じゃなかったかな ( = genki ja nakatta kana)
⭐️When to use かな ( = kana):
1) When you are uncertain / wonder about something.
Note: We sometimes stretch the sound かな ( = kana) in conversation.
かなあ ( = kanaa)
We also write かな〜 (=kanaa) in a casual written style.
Ex. あの人は誰かな...
= Ano hito wa dare kana…
= I wonder who that person is…
Ex. 私、そんなこと言ったかな…
= Watashi, sona koto itta kana?
= Did I say such a thing?
Ex. マギーはどこに行ったかな…
= Maggie wa dokoni ittakana
= I wonder where Maggie has gone.
Ex. これ美味しいかな…
= Kore oishii kana
= I wonder if it’s delicious.
Ex. もう食べていいかな…
= Mou tabete iikana
= I wonder if I can start eating already…
Ex. マギー元気かな…
= Maggie genki kana…
= I wonder if Maggie is doing well.
Ex. 明日、晴れるかな…
= Ashita, hareru kana…
= I wonder if it is going to be nice (weather) tomorrow…
Note: If you want to stress uncertainty or your doubt, about whether you can do something or not, you add の(=no)
→のかな ( = no kana)
(after a noun, na-adjective add なの ( = nano)
→なのかな ( = nano kana)
これ美味しいのかな..
= Kore oishii no kana…
マギー元気なのかな…
= Maggie genki nano kana…
Note: When you quote using ~かな ( = kana)
Ex. マギー先生のサイトはもうなくなるのかなと心配していました。
= Maggie Sensei no saito wa mou nakunaru no kana to shinpai shiteimashita.
= I was afraid Maggie Sensei’s site would be gone.
Ex. 「どうしたの？」
= Doushitano?
= What’s the matter?
「今、マギーはどうしているのかなって考えていたの。」
= Ima Maggie wa genki nanokanatte kangaete itano.
= I was just wondering how Maggie is doing.
⭐️ How and when to use the negative form :
* When you wonder if something is (was) not ~ / if someone doesn’t (didn’t) do something/ if something doesn’t (didn’t) happen
Ex. これ美味しくないのかな…
= Kore oishiku nai no kana..
= I wonder if it doesn’t taste good. (= it tastes bad.)
Ex. 彼、私のこと好きじゃないのかな…
= Kare watashi no koto sukijanai no kana..
= I wonder if he doesn’t like me.
Ex. マギー先生は結婚していなかったのかな…
= Maggie sensei wa kekkon shite inakatta no kana.
= I wonder if Maggie Sensei was not married. (= was single)
* When you wonder if you can do it or not / if someone can do it or not / if something is possible or not
(You show your desire. You want it to happen)
Ex. どこかで風邪薬、買えないかな…
= Dokokade kazegusuri kaenai kana…
= I wonder if I can buy cold medicine…
Ex. 誰かコンサートに一緒に行かないかな…
= Dareka konnsaato ni issho ni ikanaikana(a)…
= I wonder if anybody can go to the concert with me…
Note: So ~ないかな ( = naikana) shows your desire for something happen
When you say,
Ex. 明日、晴れるかな…
= Ashita, hareru kana…
It means “I wonder if it is going to be nice weather tomorrow or not.” (You are not sure about the weather.)
But if you say,
Ex. 明日、晴れないかな…
= Ashita harenai kana..
(It shows your desire.) I hope it is going to be a nice weather tomorrow.
But sometimes it also shows your fear or anxiety.
Ex. 明日、雨降るかな…
= Ashita ame furu kana…
= I wonder if it is going to rain tomorrow.
But if you say
Ex. 明日、雨降らないかな…
= Ashita, ame furanai kana…
= I am afraid it is going to rain tomorrow.
It expresses your anxiety more.
Ex. 地震が来ないかな…
= Jishin ga konai kana…
= I am afraid we will have an earthquake…
(showing your fear)
So you have to know the context well.
If someone says,
Ex. 彼、試験に落ちないかな…
= Kare, shiken ni ochinai kana…
If that person hates him, it means “I hope he fails the exam.” but if that person supports him, it means
“I am worried that he will fail the exam. (I am concerned about him.)”
2) When you are uncertain about something and ask someone’s opinion in a subtle way.
Ex. このスカート短いかな？
= Kono sukaato mijikai kana?
= Do you think this skirt is too short?
Ex. ねえ、 私でも通訳になれるかな？
= Nee watashi demo tsuyaku ni nareru kana?
= Do you think even I can be an interpreter?
Ex. 日本に行くのに$1,000.00じゃあ足りないかな？
= Nihon ni iku noni sendoru jaa tarinai kana?
= Do you think $1,000 is not enough to go to Japan?
3) When you ask a question in a subtle way (colloquial)
かな ( = kana) suffix adds some nuance of uncertainty, “I could be wrong but…” so we sometimes add it on purpose to avoid sounding too straightforward in colloquial conversation.
Ex. それアマゾンで買ったの？ (straightforward)
= Sore Amazon de katta no?
= Did you buy that on Amazon?
↓
Ex. それアマゾンで買ったのかな？
= Sore Amazon de katta no kana?
= Did you buy that on Amazon by any chance?
Ex. それいくらだった？
= Sore ikura datta?
= How much did it cost?
↓
Ex. それいくらしたのかな？ (softer)
= Sore ikuragurai shita no kana?
= I wonder how much you paid for that.
4) When you express disagreement.
Ex. 「マギー先生ってかわいいよね。」
= Maggie Sensei tte kawaii yone.
= Maggie Sensei is cute, isn’t she?
「そうかな…」 
= Soukana….
= Do you think so? (I don’t think so./ I disagree.)
or
「かわいいかなあ…」
= Kawaii kanaa…
= You think she is cute? (I disagree.)
5) When you ask someone for a favor casually.
(Since it is a casual suffix, you don’t want to use it with someone superior or you don’t know.)
Ex. よかったら手伝ってくれるかな？
= Yokattara tetsudatte kureru kana?
= I wonder if you can help me…/ Can you help me if you can?
Ex. 悪いけど、明日までにこれやれるかな？
= Waruikedo, ashita made ni kore yareru kana?
= I feel bad but do you think you can do this by tomorrow?
Ex. ここに座ってもいいかな？
= Koko ni suwatte mo iikana?
= Do you mind if I sit here?
:ii: When you use it with a verb in a negative form.
Ex. これ食べてくれないかな？
= Kore tabete kurenaikana?
= I wonder if you can eat this for me? (For example, if there is one piece of pizza left and you’d like someone to eat it you can clear the plates.)
Ex. 明日会えないかな？
= Ashita aenai kana?
= Can we get together tomorrow?
Ex. この本、貸してくれないかな?
= Kono hon, kashite kurenai kana?
= I wonder if you can lend me this book?/ Can you lend me this book?
Note: Both men and women use かな ( = kana)
There is also a purely female form for かな ( = kana)
かしら ( = kashira)
Ex. これ美味しいかしら？
= Kore oishii kashira?
= I wonder if it’s delicious?
Ex. よかったら手伝ってくれるかしら？
= Yokattara tetsudatte kureru kashira?
= Do you think you can help me?
Note: かしら kashira sounds VERY feminine.
Even a fine lady like Maggie Sensei has never used it, but I bet you will hear/see it somewhere.
6) When you challenge someone to see if they can do something or not. (Usually towards children.)
Do you think you can do ~?
Ex. これみっちゃんにできるかな？
= Kore Micchan ni dekiru kana?
= Can you do that, Micchan? (Do you want to give it a try, Micchan?)
Ex. 一人で靴が履けるかな？
= Hitori de kutsu ga hakeru kana?
= I wonder if you can put on your shoes by yourself. (Can you do that?)
Note: You can also replace かな ( = kana) with かしら ( = kashira) for female speech.
But remember: it sounds very feminine.
7) When you give someone a piece of advice or when you suggest doing something in a subtle way.
verb conditional form 〜たら ( = tara) + どうかな ( = doukana)
How about…/ Why don’t you/ Why don’t we…
Ex. 皆で京都に行ったらどうかな？
= Minna de Kyouto ni ittara dou kana?
= How about going to Kyoto together?
Ex. 漢字を毎日１００字ずつ覚えたらどうかなあ？
= Kanji wo mainichi hyakuji zutsu oboetara doukanaa.
= How about memorizing 100 kanji every day?
8 ) When expressing what you are going to do or your desire to do something. (You are not certain if you actually do it or not but you are interested in doing something)
⭐️ verb volitional form + かな ( = kana)
*行く(= iku) to go
行こう ( = ikou) + かな ( = kana)
行こうかな ( = ikou kana)
*遊ぶ( = asobu) to play
遊ぼう ( = asobou) + かな ( = kana)
遊ぼうかな ( = asobou kana)
:purple: See the picture above? I am thinking,
「さて今日は何をして遊ぼうかな…」
= Sate, kyou wa nani wo shite asobou kana…
= Hmm…what should I play with today?
Ex. この夏、どこに行こうかな。イタリアに行こうかな。
= Kono natsu, dokoni ikou kana. Itaria ni ikou kana.
= Where should I go this summer? Maybe I should go to Italy.
Ex. 今日は一日家にいようかな。
= Kyou wa ichinichi ie ni iyou kana.
= I guess I will stay home all day today. / Should I stay home all day today?
Ex. どのDVDを最初に観ようかな。
= Dono DVD wo saisho ni miyou kana.
= Hmm. Which DVD should I watch first…
Ex. 今日は何も食べないでおこうかな。
= Kyou wa nanimo tabenai de okou kana.
= I guess I won’t eat anything today./ Maybe I shouldn’t eat anything today.
Ex. 彼女にプロポーズしようかなあ。
= Kanojo ni puropuzu shiyou kanaa.
= Should I propose to her? / Maybe I will propose to her.
Note: In more casual Japanese, you say っかな ( = kkana)
Ex. もう寝ようかな。
= Mou neyou kana.
= I guess I will go to bed now.
↓ (more casual)
もう寝よっかな。
= Mou neyokkana.
Ex. そろそろ勉強しようかな。
= Sorosoro benkyou shiyou kana.
= I guess it is time to study now.
↓ (more casual)
そろそろ勉強しよっかな。
= Sorosoro benkyou shiyokkana.
このレッスン長くなり過ぎたかな？最後まで読んでくれてありがとう！またここに教えにくるね！
= Kono ressun nagaku narisugita kana? Saigo made yonde kurete arigatou! Mata koko ni oshieni kurune.
= Do you think this lesson ended up being too long? Thank you for reading all the way to the end. I will come back and teach you again.
マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei
ミツ先生、ありがとう！
= Mitsu Sensei, arigatou!
= Thank you, Mitsu Sensei!
今日は、猫ちゃんと鬼ごっこをしたらどうかなあ。
= Kyou wa, nekochan to onigokko wo shitara doukanaa.
= How about playing tag with a kitty today?
***
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66 Comments
Hi, Maggie-sensei. I have a question. How do I translate the sentence “あと少し頑張ってみようかな”. It’s from a song.
The whole verse is this:
見つけ出そうとしているのです
生まれてきたわけを
くじけそうでも あきらめないで
あと少し頑張ってみようかな
Hi Juliana
I would say
I guess I will give it a try a little more./ I will try a little bit more!
ありがとうございます、Maggie sensei!
どういたしまして :)
One of the characters in an RPG I play has this voice clip that sounds to my ears like “いいかん” — I was wondering if you thought this would mean “いいかの” or “いいかな”. Also, if you combine the か and の particles, it has to be ～のか, right?
マギー先生のサイトにはいつも最高な説明があります。書いてくれてありがとうございます！
Hello Gran
I wish I could hear what it says so that I could help you.
Is that OK? in Japanese is
いいかな？
いいかの？ an old man’s speech. (You hear that in anime/game)
いいか？ male speech/rough
いいのか？ male speech/rough/(The speaker is more uncertain)
If you find a youtube clip with that phrase, let me know.
先生、
正しいですか。
Corona virusという感染は発症しないかな。I wonder/I fear that it should not outbreak.
coronovirusの問題は解決しないのかな。
looking at the way it is spreading, I doubt whether it would get resolved . it shows my frustration.
Can かな be used with passive form ?
小説を書きましたが、
この本は、読まれるかな。
は上記の文章にくらべて、自然な文章だとおもいますか。
どちらがいいとおもいますか。
Corona virusという感染は発症しないかな。
感染自体に get infectedという意味があります。感染しても発症しない人もいるようです。その辺を
コロナウイルスに感染して発症しないかな。
コロナウイルスの感染症が発症しないかな。
ではどうでしょう。
coronovirusの問題は解決しないのかな。 OK
受け身形でも「かな」使います。
この本は、読まれるかな。OK
Hello マギー先生
If “地震が来ないかな…” means –
I am afraid if we will have an earthquake..
(showing fear)
what will “地震が来ないのかな” mean?
I’m not sure if i understand both
ないのかな
and
ないかな
地震が(It is probably better with は) こないのかなあ
“I wonder if the earthquake happens.”
〜かな (expressing one’s desire or fear)
〜のかな (question/doubt/emphasize one’s feelings such as irritation/frustration)
なるほど
ありがとうございました！
どういたしまして！
What’s the difference between かな and だろうか when Expressing doubt or the meaning “I wonder”
かな and だろうか
だろうか is more literal and かな is much more conversational.
I wonder if he would do such a thing.
彼はそんなことやるかな？ (casual)
彼がそんなことをやるだろうか。(sounds more literal)
I wonder if it is going to be a nice weather tomorrow.
明日は晴れるかな？ You can use both to ask yourself (talking to yourself) or ask someone else.
明日は晴れるだろうか。 You say that only when you talk to yourself, expressing your doubt.
Arigatou Sensei! you are the best!
Love you! 💕
If my memory didn’t deceive me, I saw a man use 何かしら before. Is this an exception?
I would say it sounds very effeminate. Man would say 何だろう。 (I wonder what/ What is it?) unless he say 何かしらの (some kind of ) + noun
I found it. It is from a manga. A conversation between two young men.
A : お前さ。なんか欲しいもんある？
B : 欲しい物？
A : そー。なんかしらあんだろ。物でなくても。
Ah OK,
It’s different from the female suffix かしら
何かしら→(casual) なんかしら = something
何かあるだろ→なんかしらあんだろ = You must have something.
You add かしら with なに、だれ、どこ and add the nuance of assumption.
誰かしら somebody or other 誰かがきっと
どこかしら somewhere or other どこかきっと
なにかしら something or other なにかきっと
This has me wondering (heh) how would you express something like “I wonder if I should do X or X?”
Thank you for this site btw. I recently got back into studying after losing motivation and almost stopping. This site has actually helped motivate me again.
@Stumpy
There are a few ways to say that but for example,
* verb “do”
YとX（の）どちらをした（やった）方がいいのかな。
Yをした（やった）方がいいのかな。Xを verb + 方がいいのかな。
* With other verbs
Ex. 彼に電話した方がいいのかな。それともメールをした方がいいのかな。
Ex. 彼に電話とメールのどちらをした方がいいのかな。
I’m glad to hear this site helped you motivate you again.
Is これ美味しいですかしら correct too?
@Coco
美味しいでしょうか？ is more natural.
If you want to sound feminine you can say
美味しいかしら？
You hear that in anime or TV drama but it may sound too feminine.
So never ですかしら , but is there any rule for using かしら politely? I may be wrong but 美味しいかしら sounds informal?
And thank you very much Maggie-sensei, I learn a lot!
If you want to use the feminine form かしら
adjective ~ い＋かしら
verb dictionary form + かしら
not です＋かしら
Basically the same structure as かな
先生、can we use かなwith ある?
For an example, can we say、
明日、時間があるかな。
@ヘヨン
Yes, you can say あるかな
明日、時間あるかな。(Since it is a casual speech you can also skip “が” )
Thank you very much, Maggie Sensai!!! I’ve learned a lot from this lesson. However, I still have trouble understanding the following:
幸せで気がくるいそって、こんな状態をいうのかしら。
@Presto
Hi Presto
I think there is a typo in your sentence. くるいそって→くるいそうって
Let me rephrase this
幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことをいうのだろうか。
→幸せで気がくるいそうって、こんな状態をいうのかしら。
幸せで気が狂いそう = (to feel like) going crazy because one is really happy
こんな状態= this kind of state/condition
〜を = object marker
いう = to indicate/ to mean
~のかしら (female speech) = I wonder
Now put them together since I don’t do the translation. 😉
You’re absolutely right, Maggie Sensai!!! There was a typo right there 😁 どうもありがうとございました‼
Here is my attempt to translate. Please let me know if I’m far off.
I’m so happy that I feel that I’m going crazy. I wonder if my condition indicates that.
But this doesn’t sound like natural English, so if I can rephrase it, I’d say “I’m so happy that I feel that my condition indicates that I’m going crazy.” This still sounds cumbersome, to be honest… Sigh.
お願い致します❣
Besides, I lost the nuance of doubt in my translation… :'(
@Presto
OK, it basically means
I wonder this is what it’s like to go crazy with happiness.
Ahhh…. That’s so much better, Maggie Sensai! You’re the best!!! I’ve been reading your various posts, and they are real treasures to me!! Thanks a million!
@Presto
Good, problem solved! :)
I am happy to hear you have been reading my lessons!
Hello there!
Long time no see, Maggie ^ ^ (although I’m almost everyday here to check your comments and learn – thanks to that – something new).
I’ve got an additional question regarding this post.
So here we go!
「幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことをいうのだろうか。」
Could you tell me, Maggie, how strong the meaning would change, if we use instead of ～のことをいうのだろうか just ～なのだろうか or ～のことだろうか.
In other words, why was here used ～をいう?
@天人
Hello, there. 久しぶり！！元気でしたか？
1) 〜というのは、こういう〜のことをいうのだろうか。
2) 〜というのは、こういう〜のこと～なのだろうか
3) 〜というのは、こういう〜のこと～のことだろうか.
1), 2) and 3) mean the same.
The nuance difference:
2) & 3)
2) sounds slightly stronger than 3) and you can express your feelings more with なの
3) In this case, いう means “to call something as ~ ” /”to describe something as ~””
Now, let’s rephrase the sentences a little to understand these better. (I will add one more pattern.)
A) 幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことです。
Simply stating the fact. A is B.
B) 幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことなのです。
By adding な, you can emphasize the meaning of A)
C) 幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことをいいます。
The direct translation
→We call this kind of condition “going crazy with happiness”
D) 幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことをいうのです。
The meaning is the same as C) but it sounds more explanatory.
I’m doing fine, thank you for asking.
While I was preparing my breakfast I had an enlightenment regarding my yesterday’s question.
I realized that this をいう has the meaning of “to be called”, therefore 幸せで気が狂いそうというのは、こういう状態のことをいうのだろうか = I’m wondering if this [referring to a certain state/condition] is what is called to feel like going crazy with happiness.
Shortly after that I run quick on maggiesensei.com to check, if you answered my question, and I saw, what I wanted to see ^w^
みんなの質問に答えて、みんなを幸せにしてくれてありがとうございます！
@天人
元気でよかった！
Good! That’s why it is important to prepare your breakfast! (^_−)−☆
Hihi Maggie 先生、
I often hear Japanese adding “なになに~いいじゃないかなぁと思う” or “なになに~じゃないかなぁと思う” when they are interviewed on the Youtube?.
1. What is the meaning behind adding じゃないかなぁ to the ending part of the sentence?
2. Is there a difference between “~じゃないかなぁ” and “~んじゃない”？
ありがとうございます o(∩_∩)o
@Teck Wee
I am so sorry. I just read your question dated December 17th. I must have been gone for vacation then.
~じゃないかなあと思う = I wonder if it could be ~ You are not sure. It sounds more uncertain than じゃない.
2. ~（ん）じゃない？ is used when you express your opinion.
Ex. 1) 彼は忙しいんじゃないかなあと思う。 I think he could be busy. (I am not sure) Expressing your assumption in a mild way.
Ex. 2) 彼は忙しいんじゃない？ He is busy, isn’t he? / I think he is busy. You are giving someone your opinion for them. You are more certain than 1)
I have a lesson on じゃない？. Please go check it. → Click this link.
What does it mean どうかなさいましたか,?
@Christina
Hello Christina,
It is a polite way to say どうかしましたか？
= What is the matter with you? / Is everything all right? / Anything wrong? / What happened?
Hello, Maggie-sensei! How are you doing? ^_^ It’s me again, Ritsuko!
Thank you so much for conducting this lesson, since I have been talking lately with a lot of Japanese people, and they often use “~kana” in some conversations. Just like this one, I’ve been talking about actors with this Japanese girl, and there is a portion where she said, “あれ”, then followed this sentence:
“神木くんとまた映画出るんだったかな？？”
I was a little puzzled what this sentence may mean, so I’m asking for your help. ^.^
Thank you so much, Maggie-sensei!
@Ritsuko
Hello Ritsuko! I’m good! Thank you for asking!
As I explained かな means “I wonder”
She is talking about some actor right? So “神木くんとまた映画出るんだったかな？？” means “I wonder if he/she will appear in the movie again with 神木くん”
ありがとうせんせい！That really helped me. But can you please answer question number 2?
About this sentence “漢字を毎日１００字ずつ覚えたらどうかなあ？” what is “ずつ”? What’s its position in a sentence?
I have the following questions:
1. “今日は何も食べないでおこうかな。” what is “おこう”?
2. “今日は一日家にいようかな。” This “いよう” is “いる”?
3. “みんなに日本語を教えることができてうれしいです。” What is the function of “できて” here?
4. “夏休み、どこに行く？海外に行く？” Let’s suppose I want to go abroad. If I answer “海外がいい”, then is it ok? or we have to be more specific?
“Thank you so much in advance.” By the way, how do you translate this sentence into Japanese?
@kuroineko
ずつ means “each””per””at a time”
Ex. 漢字を毎日１００字ずつ覚える= to memorize/learn 100 kanji “per” day.
Ex. 一人二個ずつ= two pieces to each
1. 〜でおく= to do/leave something (intentionally) / ~ないでおく= to not to do something (intentionally)./to leave something without doing something
~ でおこう= try/will not to do something (intentionally)/~ないでおこう= try/will not to do something (intentionally).
Go check my lesson ~ておく
2. 家にいる= to stay home (to be home )→いよう= will stay home.
3. できる= to be able to do something できて= (This て has a function of giving a reason) in this case “because I can teach”
4. Yes, you can say 海外がいい or 海外に行きたい
“Thank you so much in advance.”
You can say よろしくお願いします。
こんにちはせんせい！
Thank you for your answer, but what’s exactly the position of ” ～としても”? After the verb? ”～にしても” is same? or a different grammar point?
Also, I have the following questions:
1. What is the difference between “もし” and “もしも”?
2. 見てみなさい. What is this verb? I know it’s imperative but I’ve never seen this pattern before.
3. あがれるじょうたいじゃないの分かるでしょう？What is ”あがれる” and What is the meaning of “あがれるじょうたい”?
4. それに 私 この仕事 けっこう 好きかも。”かも” is maybe here? or another meaning?
5. ”するの” what is this grammar point? Please give me examples.
ありがとう。
@kuroineko
Hello kuroineko,
Here are the formation of としても
*verb (plain form) + としても Ex. 行くとしても
*i-adj ~ い + としても Ex. 辛いとしても
*na-adj / noun + だ + としても Ex. きれいだとしても Ex. 子供だとしても
（In some cases you can replace it with にしても but にしても has a meaning of “Even for/as ~ “) Sorry. But it is too complicated to explain the whole difference in this comment section.)
1. もし”も” : “も” emphasizes more.
3. It depends on the previous sentence. If they are talking about going up somewhere, あがれる= to be able to go up somewhere.
4. It is very colloquial way to finish the sentence. We tend to avoid straight expressions in Japanese. So instead of saying 私はこの仕事がけっこう好きです, you add かも at the end and softens the sentence.
5. Ex. これから何をするの？= What are you going to do now? (casual way to say これから何をするのですか？）
Ex. これから勉強をするの。= I will study now. (casual way to say これから勉強をします。 showing your will)
Thank you very much for the lesson, Maggie Sensei!
I didn’t realize 〜かな could be quite deep!
The lesson makes so much sense, however, I just ran into this sentence which I don’t understand.
“あと ついてないかな”
What do you think this sentence may possibly mean?
(From context, it would actually make sense to me if あと ついて来いかな was used, but it’s possible that the character was thinking of something unrelated…)
By “あと ついて来いかな”, I meant “あと ついて来ないかな”. orz
@yui
I think it’s あとついて来ないかな.
If so, it meant to say（私・私達の）後をつけて来ないかな。
後を*ついて行く= ato wo* tuite iku = to follow someone
後を*ついて来る =ato wo* tsuite kuru = someone follows you
*Note：We often omit the particle (in this case を(=wo) in casual conversation.
So I wonder if they (he/she/it) follows me/us. （the speaker is nervous / worried.)
こんにちは先生！
I want to ask about “かしら”。If it’s very feminine, then who can exactly use it? Usual people?
Also, what is this grammar point ” ～としても”？ How to use it?
ありがとう。
@kuroineko
こんにちは、kuroineko!
1) かしら
Though it is very feminine and I don’t hear people around me use it so much but some people do use it. (Some say older women tend to use and some say Tokyo area people use it more but not sure.)
Sorry but I can’t specify what kind of people use it.
Since we hear this often in anime characters, they sounds a bit dramatic.
Ex. そうかしら。= I wonder if it is true.
Ex. 私にもできるかしら= I wonder if I can do it.
Not just feminine but in my opinion, it gives an impression of being snob when it is used in polite form.
Ex. やっていただけるかしら。= Could you do that for me?
2) ” ～としても” :
(1) when you are talking about hypothetical situation.
Even if ~ / Let’s say ~ / allowing that
Ex. たとえ今から出かけたとしてもとても間に合わない。
= Even if we leave now, I don’t think we can make it anyway.
(2) also as ~
Ex. このケースは眼鏡入れとしても使える。
= You can use this also as a spectacle case.
こんにちは先生！
It’s much easier to understand now. Learning a new language can be quite difficult without a help from someone. I really appreciate your efforts for everything you did so far. Your site is the best and I mean it. I can find materials here that I couldn’t find in any other site. so こころからありがとうございます (＾▽＾)
I have the following questions:
1. In this sentence “さて、今日は何をして遊ぼうかな…” Why did you add “して”? Is it wrong to just say “さて、今日は何を遊ぼうかな…”?
2. “もう食べていいかな…” Is it wrong to add “も” after “食べて”? I’m confused as this pattern is different..
3. “マギー先生のサイトはもうなくなるのかなと心配していました.” What is the function of “と” here?
4. How do you pronounce the letter “ん” in Japanese? Like “新聞、パン、自分、etc” I don’t think it’s the same as “night, new and so on…
Thanks in advance.
@kuroineko
こんにちは！
Glad to know you find some of my lessons help you a little.
1. 何をして this して is する= to do, so 〜をして means “doing”
We use this pattern with 遊ぶ(=asobu)、過ごす(=sugosu), etc.
Ex. 週末は何をして過ごしますか？
= Shuumatsu wa nani wo shite sugoshimasu ka?
= What are you going to be doing this weekend?
2. Yes. It is originally もう食べてもいいかな？ We omit て in conversation.
3. this と has a function of quoting. “マギー先生のサイトはもうなくなるのかな”＋と＋思う・言う・心配する etc.
4. I can’t add the audio file in comment section. Check this lesson Super Basic Words Week 29 has an audio file of 新聞
Also check the audio in Hiragana Chart lesson.
このレッスンを作ってくれたありがとうございます。とても面白いです。私もその使い方「〜ないかな」前に見たことじゃありません。本当に役に立つの文法です。
@elainelinc
このレッスンが役に立つと聞いてうれしいです。またこのサイトに来てくださいね！
（少し、elainelincの文章のお手伝いをしますね。
〜をしてくれたありがとう→〜をしてくれ”て”ありがとう。
前に見たことじゃありません。→前に見たこと”が”ありません。
本当に役に立つの→役に立つ文法です。
あとは上手に書けていますよ！がんばって！）
鬼ごっこ の 「ゴッコ」 って なにか言いますか？何も言いませんか？
@山うさぎ (@alpinerabbit)
こんにちは！さっそく来てくれましたね。ありがとう！
“〜ごっこ”は子供の遊びによく使いますよ。
鬼ごっこ= onigokko = play tag
Ex. お医者さんごっこ= oishasan gokko = play doctor
Ex. お母さんーごっこ= okaasan gokko = play mom
そうなの？’かしら’の使用することは一般的じゃないですか？残念！！もし私が女性になったら、いつも使います！！
XD
Really, it was one of my favourite words, one of the first things I picked up since it sounded so soft and pleasant. XD
@John
もちろん使う人もいますよ。でも「そうかしら？」より「そうかな」の方が使う人がもっと多いと思います。
ちょっと気取って聞こえるからかなあ。
でももちろん、ジョンが女性になったら(But if you “become” a woman) 使ってみて！
Thank you very much for this interesting lesson!
I thought I knew everything about かな（あ） but apparently I didn’t. っかな and ～ないかな (I hope~ ) was quite new for me. I’m very happy that your lessons are so complex.
先生, I’m wondering if there are any differences between だろう （疑問や反語の意）and かな ？
EX)
あの人は誰かな／だろう（な）
今、マギーはどうしているのかな／だろう って考えていたの。
彼、私のこと好きじゃないのかな／だろうな…
ここに座ってもいいかな／だろう？
明日、晴れないかな／だろうな…
かわいいかなあ／だろうな
どのDVDを最初に観ようかな／だろうな。
皆で京都に行ったらどうかな／だろう？
これみっちゃんにできるかな／だろう？
May 26, 2014 at 11:50 pm (Edit)
＠天人
I’m glad to know there is still you can learn here. :)
かな VS だろう
There are cases you can replace them and the translation could be the same but there is a subtle difference.
while かな is used when you express your doubt or question, だろう is used when we guess/assume something.
あの人は誰かな = I wonder who that person is.
あの人は誰だろう= I wonder who that person could be.
今、マギーはどうしているのかなって考えていたの。 (You are wondering what I am doing)
今、マギーはどうしているだろうって考えていたの。(you are guessing what I am doing)
彼、私のこと好きじゃないのかな I wonder if he doesn’t like me.
彼、私のこと好きじゃないの(or ん）だろうな… I guess he doesn’t like me.
*ここに座ってもいいかな／だろう？
You can’t say だろう？
*明日、晴れないかな = I hope it is going to be a nice weather tomorrow.
*明日、晴れないだろうな… = I think (assume) it is not going to a nice weather tomorrow.
かわいいかなあ = I wonder if S is cute.
かわいいだろうな = I imagine S is cute.
どのDVDを最初に観ようかな
X You can’t say どのDVDを最初に観ようだろうな。
***
皆で京都に行ったらどうかな？
皆で京都に行ったらどうだろう？
I guess they both suggest the idea of going to Kyoto so the translation is the same but while どうかな simply suggests going to Kyoto, どうだろう gives us impression that the speaker is imagining how it would be going to Kyoto together.
これみっちゃんにできるかな
X You can’t say これみっちゃんにできるかなだろう？
(But you can say これみっちゃんにできるだろうか。）
この説明でわかるかなあ….
「この説明でわかるかなあ….」分かるだろうなー。はは、もちろん分かりますとも。詳しい説明をどうもありがとうございました。お勉強になりました。先生は最高です！
＠天人
よかった〜！！VU^ｪ^U ♩