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Lesson 40 — かどうか ·疑問詞ぎもんし+ か · てみます

BOOK II · 初級 II みんなの日本語 · Mini no Nihongo

L40 · かどうか · てみます

Name Date

REFかどうか ·疑問詞ぎもんし+ か · てみます

1. 〜かどうか — whether or not

Formation: plain form + かどうか. な-adj and noun drop だ.

TypeExample
verb
い-adj
な-adj
noun

な-adj and nouns drop だ before か / かどうか — unlike と思おもいます (L21), which keeps it.

2. Question word + か — embedded wh-question

Choosing between them:

If the embedded question contains a question word (いつ · どこ · だれ · 何なに · どう) →か alone.

If it's a yes/no question → かどうか.

Main verbs that follow

わかります知しっています教おしえます調しらべます覚おぼえています忘わすれました聞ききます言いいます

The embedded clause is in plain form, and the subject inside takes が.

3. 〜てみます — try doing (to see how it goes)

Conjugates as Group II: てみる → てみたい → てみました → てみて.

Means "try it out and see" — not "attempt with difficulty" (that's 〜ようとします, later).

4. Combining the patterns

Set expressions会話かいわ

Key vocabulary

数かぞえます測はかります量はかります確たしかめます試ためします間まに合あいます出席しゅっせきします伝つたえます調しらべます触さわります正ただしい細こまかいサイズ重おもさ長ながさ大おおきさ結果けっか試験しけん成績せいせき会場かいじょう

詳説 In depth — grammar notes

1. 〜かどうか — whether or not

A yes/no question can be swallowed into a bigger sentence. Put the question in plain form, add かどうか, and carry on.

QuestionEmbedded
JapaneseEnglish
I don't know whether I'll make the meeting.
Could you check whether this answer is right?
I don't know whether he's single.

Nouns and な-adjectives lose だ before か: ✕ · ○.

2. Question word + か — the embedded wh-question

When the question contains だれ, どこ, なに, いつ, どう, どれ, use plain か with no どうか.

JapaneseEnglish
Do you know when the meeting starts?
I don't know who's coming.
Please tell me where I can buy it.
I've forgotten what I should bring.
Please explain how to use it.
Question typeMarker
yes / no
question word

Both drop the question particle's politeness: ✕ — the embedded clause is always plain.

Main verbs that follow

知しっています分わかります調しらべます教おしえます聞ききます覚おぼえています確たしかめます心配しんぱいします

The particle before these verbs is normally dropped: is possible but stiff; is what people say.

3. 〜てみます — try it and see

て-form + みます. You are not "trying hard" — you are doing something once to find out what happens.

JapaneseEnglish
May I try this on?
I gave natto a try.
I'd like to try climbing Mt Fuji.
It might be no good, but I'll ask and see.

てみます is not "attempt but fail". For effort against difficulty, use or just the plain verb. And it cannot be used for something you have no choice about: ✕.

FormMeaning
do it once to find out
want to give it a try
give it a go
let's try it and see

4. Putting the two together

JapaneseEnglish
I'll taste it and see whether it's good.
I'll ring and ask whether there's space.
I'll look into how long it takes.

Error table

✕○Why
embed in the plain form
な-adjectives and nouns drop だ
question word takes か alone
みます conjugates as a Group II verb
てみる attaches to something you can choose to do, not to an ability

Try translating

EnglishJapanese
I don't know whether he's coming.
Could you check whether this is correct?
Do you know when the meeting starts?
Please tell me where I can buy it.
May I try this jacket on?
I'd like to try climbing Mt Fuji.

練習 Practice — 6 questions

  1. Q1 whether or not

    'I don't know whether I'll make the meeting.'

    か
    ど
    う
    か
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A plain + かどうか
  2. Q2 な-adj + かどうか

    'I don't know whether that shop is famous.' (有名ゆうめい= な-adj)

    か
    ど
    う
    か
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B な-adj/noun DROP だ before かどうか
  3. Q3 embedded wh-question

    'Do you know when the manager is coming?'

    疑問詞 ぎもんし
    +
    か
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    C Question word present → just か (not かどうか); subject takes が
  4. Q4 embedded question

    'Please tell me who made this.'

    疑問詞 ぎもんし
    +
    か
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A だれが + plain + か
  5. Q5 try doing

    'I'd like to try wearing a kimono once.'

    て
    み
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A て-form + みます, conjugates as Group II → みたい
  6. Q6 try doing

    'I'll try going to that shop.'

    て
    み
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B 行いって+ みます

解答 Answer key

  1. Q1 A plain + かどうか
  2. Q2 B な-adj/noun DROP だ before かどうか
  3. Q3 C Question word present → just か (not かどうか); subject takes が
  4. Q4 A だれが + plain + か
  5. Q5 A て-form + みます, conjugates as Group II → みたい
  6. Q6 B 行いって+ みます