果たして
🃏 Flashcard
果たして
hatashite
Tap to reveal usage
as was expected; sure enough; really
N2
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N2
Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage
Reading
hatashite
Post ID
51022
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
as was expected; sure enough; really
📖 How to use it
Used to confirm an expected result or to express doubt about whether something is really true.
Attaches to
Adverbial; placed at the beginning of a clause or sentence. No conjugation or attachment to specific verb forms.
果たして has two main uses. The first is like 'sure enough' or 'as expected' — you use it when something happens exactly as you predicted. It often appears with やはり or 思ったとおり in the same sentence. Example: 果たして、彼は来なかった。 The second use is with a question or negative expression, meaning 'really?' or 'actually?' — you doubt whether something is true or will happen. Example: 果たして本当だろうか。 In this use it often goes with どうか, だろうか, or かどうか. It is somewhat formal and more common in writing or careful speech; in casual conversation people often use やっぱり for the first meaning and 本当に for the second.
果たして、彼は約束の時間に来なかった。
Hatashite, kare wa yakusoku no jikan ni konakatta.
Sure enough, he didn't come at the promised time.
果たしてこの計画はうまくいくのだろうか。
Hatashite kono keikaku wa umaku iku no darou ka.
Will this plan really work, I wonder?
彼が言ったことは果たして本当なのか確かめたい。
Kare ga itta koto wa hatashite hontou na no ka tashikametai.
I want to check whether what he said is really true.
Not やっぱり
やっぱり is used in casual speech to confirm an expectation, but it doesn't carry the doubt meaning. 果たして is more formal and can express doubt, especially with question forms. Use やっぱり for 'as I thought' in conversation, and 果たして for 'really?' in writing or thoughtful speech.
Register
Somewhat formal and literary; rarely used in casual conversation, where やっぱり or 本当に are preferred.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
果たして
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat 果たして three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using 果たして. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N2 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern 果たして mean?
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As was expected; sure enough; really
What JLPT level is 果たして?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use 果たして in a sentence?
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Attach 果たして (hatashite) 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 果たして formal or casual Japanese?
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果たして 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 果たして long-term?
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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.