Whether or not: 〜か否か
plain form (N／な-adj without だ) + か否か
Plain form (N, な-adj without だ) + か否か (かいなか): “whether… or not”, the written version of かどうか.
In short
〜か否か (かいなか) is the written version of 〜かどうか: “whether… or not”. 否 (いな) means “no”. You find it in reports, articles, regulations, debates and exam questions. In everyday speech, you say かどうか. As with かどうか, there's no だ before か after a noun or a な-adjective.
- 参加するか否かを、今週中に決めてください。さんかするかいなかを、こんしゅうちゅうにきめてください。Please decide this week whether or not you'll take part.
- その情報が事実か否かは、まだわからない。そのじょうほうがじじつかいなかは、まだわからない。It's not yet known whether or not that information is true.
- 計画が成功するか否かは、準備にかかっている。けいかくがせいこうするかいなかは、じゅんびにかかっている。Whether or not the project succeeds depends on the preparation.
The basics
否 (いな) is an old word for “no”. So 〜か否か places “whether it's so” and “no” side by side: “whether it's the case or not”. The meaning is exactly that of かどうか, but the tone is that of a report or an article.
It's not yet known whether or not that information is true.
- noun
- grammatical form
- other
- verb
- この薬が効くか否かを調べるため、調査が行われた。このくすりがきくかいなかをしらべるため、ちょうさがおこなわれた。A study was carried out to determine whether or not this drug is effective.
How to form it
The linking is the same as かどうか: plain form of the verb or い-adjective, nouns and な-adjectives without だ. After that, か否か works like a noun: it takes は, を, が, で depending on the sentence.
| Word | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | plain form + か否か | 参加するか否か |
| い-adjective | 〜い + か否か | 正しいか否か |
| な-adjective | stem + か否か | 必要か否か |
| Noun | N + か否か | 事実か否か |
| Particle | か否か + は／を／が | か否かを決める |
- その方法が正しいか否かについて、議論が続いている。そのほうほうがただしいかいなかについて、ぎろんがつづいている。The debate continues over whether or not this method is the right one.
- 新しい駅が必要か否か、住民の意見を聞く。あたらしいえきがひつようかいなか、じゅうみんのいけんをきく。Residents will be consulted on whether or not a new station is needed.
Reading and register
Watch the reading: in か否か, 否 is read いな. The reading ひ appears in compounds such as 否定 (ひてい, “denial”) or 賛否 (さんぴ, “for and against”).
It's a written construction. In conversation, か否か sounds stiff: you say かどうか. On the other hand, it's natural in a report, meeting minutes, a regulation or an article.
- 明日のパーティー、来るかどうか教えて。あしたのぱーてぃー、くるかどうかおしえて。Let me know whether you're coming to the party tomorrow. (spoken)
か否か, かどうか, 〜か〜ないか
All three ask the same yes / no question. かどうか (N4) is the neutral, everyday form. 〜か〜ないか repeats the verb in the affirmative and the negative (行くか行かないか), rather spoken. か否か is the written form.
| Form | Example | Register |
|---|---|---|
| 〜か否か | 参加するか否か | written, formal |
| 〜かどうか | 参加するかどうか | neutral, everyday |
| 〜か〜ないか | 参加するかしないか | spoken |
- 行くか行かないか、早く決めたほうがいいよ。いくかいかないか、はやくきめたほうがいいよ。You'd better decide quickly whether you're going or not.
Common mistakes
- Reading it ×かひか: in this construction, 否 is read いな.
- Using it in relaxed conversation: in speech, かどうか.
- Putting だ before か: ×事実だか否か. It's 事実か否か.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N2 point is on the Sakura-dōri Line (Law and safety) of the Nagoya lines.