whether or not ~ (か否か) – Japanese Grammar か否か (ka ina ka)

Q: What JLPT level is か否か?

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Q: How do you use か否か in a sentence?

Attach か否か to the appropriate verb or noun form. Whether or not ~

Q: Is か否か formal or casual Japanese?

か否か is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

か否か

N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

ka ina ka

whether or not ~

には当たらない niwa ataranai 甲斐もなく kai mo naku 放題 houdai と相まって to aimatte に限ったことではない ni kagitta koto dewa nai ならいざしらず /はいざしらず nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu かれ〜かれ kare~kare ものを mono o だに / だにしない dani / dani shinai を踏まえて o fumaete たるもの / たる taru mono / taru かつて katsute がてら gatera まみれ mamire ないものでもない nai mono demo nai がましい gamashii てみせる te miseru ためしがない tameshi ga nai とばかりに to bakari ni 何しろ nani shiro には当たらない niwa ataranai 甲斐もなく kai mo naku 放題 houdai と相まって to aimatte に限ったことではない ni kagitta koto dewa nai ならいざしらず /はいざしらず nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu かれ〜かれ kare~kare ものを mono o だに / だにしない dani / dani shinai を踏まえて o fumaete たるもの / たる taru mono / taru かつて katsute がてら gatera まみれ mamire ないものでもない nai mono demo nai がましい gamashii てみせる te miseru ためしがない tameshi ga nai とばかりに to bakari ni 何しろ nani shiro

🃏 Flashcard

か否か

ka ina ka

Tap to reveal usage

whether or not ~

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N1

Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Reading ka ina ka

Post ID 51233

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

whether or not ~

📖 How to use it

Expresses 'whether or not' in formal, written Japanese.

Attaches to Attaches to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, or the copula だ (which becomes である before か否か). For nouns and な-adjectives, use であるか否か.

This is a formal, mostly written pattern meaning 'whether or not'. It is built from the question particle か plus the negative form 否(いな) meaning 'no'. It is the stiff, literary counterpart of かどうか. You will encounter it in reports, essays, contracts, and official statements, but rarely in casual conversation. In speech, even formal speech, かどうか is far more natural.

The key is that it must attach to the plain (dictionary) form of verbs and adjectives, or to である for nouns and な-adjectives. For example, 行くか否か (whether to go or not) or 安全であるか否か (whether it is safe or not). Note that か否か is not used with ます-stems or て-forms. Also, the negative form is already built into 否, so you cannot say 行かないか否か—that would be redundant.

この計画が実行に移されるか否かは、来週の会議で決まる。

Kono keikaku ga jikkō ni utsusa reru ka ina ka wa, raishū no kaigi de kimaru.

Whether this plan will be put into action will be decided at next week's meeting.

採用されるか否かは、試験の結果次第だ。

Saiyō sa reru ka ina ka wa, shiken no kekka shidai da.

Whether you will be hired depends on the exam results.

その提案が有効であるか否か、専門家の意見を聞く必要がある。

Sono teian ga yūkō de aru ka ina ka, senmonka no iken o kiku hitsuyō ga aru.

We need to hear experts' opinions on whether that proposal is valid.

Not かどうかか否か is formal and written; かどうか is neutral and can be used in both speech and writing. In conversation, always use かどうか.

Register Formal and predominantly used in written language such as reports, essays, and official documents; not used in casual speech.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

か否か

📚 How to Master This Pattern

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Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat か否か three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

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Flip Before Reading

Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.

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Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using か否か. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

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Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns

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じみた

to become; to appear like; to look like ~

かと思いきや

contrary to expectations

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern か否か mean? ▼

Whether or not ~

What JLPT level is か否か? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use か否か in a sentence? ▼

Attach か否か (ka ina ka) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is か否か formal or casual Japanese? ▼

か否か is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.

How can I remember か否か long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.