Hey guys, welcome to today’s awesome online Japanese lesson from Bondlingo. Today we are going to be looking at the Japanese particle かな “Ka na” which is the equivalent of “I wonder” in English. This is quite an informal phrase and is great to help you sound more natural in Japanese.
We are going to start with the grammatical aspects of the particle and look at how to use it within a sentence. Form that, we will look at various examples sentences so you can get used to using the particle in context. Lastly, we will be looking at an effective study technique that you can use to make sure that you can actually use it confidently in your speech too. So without further hesitation, lets jump right into today’s lesson and master “かな”
Contents
What is かな “ka na” and how do I use it?
So “ka na” is a particle which means “I wonder” and is placed at the end of a sentence. Take a look at this example below and we will break it down further.
これいくらかな。
Kore ikura ka na
I wonder how much it is
This sentence, meaning “I wonder how much it is” uses “ka na” at the end of the sentence to express “I wonder”. You should only use “ka na” after dictionary form verbs, nouns and adjectives. With な adjectives the な is not required. Let’s look at the table below to see how this works.
| Plain form verb | 太るかな | Futoru ka na | I wonder if I’ll get fat |
| II Adjective | 難しいかな | Muzukashii ka na | I wonder if it’s difficult? |
| Na Adjective | 簡単かな | Kantan ka na | Perhaps its easy? |
| noun | 犬かな | Inu ka na | Is it a dog I wonder? |
The verbs in the plain for can be used in all tenses too.
You can use “ka na” when you are wondering about something. Is she going to show up? I wonder how much that is? I think it might rain? You are not directly asking the question to someone, you are simply wondering about question at hand.
Lets take a look at some examples sentences so you can understand the usage in various different scenarios.
Example sentences using かな
何を着ていこうかな。
Nani o kite ikou kana.
What shall I wear?
In this example you are wondering what you should wear for a special occasion. Im sure we’ve all encountered this problem, oh the dilemma.
待ち合わせ場所間違えたかな。
Machiawase-basho machigaeta kana.
I wonder if I am waiting in the wrong place.
Your friend is 10 minutes late and you start to wonder if you are in the wrong place? This is the perfect time to use this sentence.
お金、後いくら残ってるかな。
Okane, ato ikura nokotteru kana.
I wonder how much money I have left.
This is a question I’m sure we can all relate to. Scared to check your bank account after a weekend shopping spree? Yeah, this would be the perfect time to use this phrase.
今年はいいことあるかな。
kotoshi wa ii koto aru ka na
I wonder if this year will bring something good.
Last year didn’t treat you to well? Why not wonder to yourself if this year will bring something great.
We hope that has given you a little more insight into how to use the Japanese particle “ka na”. Now we are going to look at an effective technique that will help you remember the particle and allow you to use it yourself confidently.
An effective technique for master the Japanese particle “ka na”
So we’ve now come to the final process of the learning phase which is usage retention and confidence. What you are going to need to do is look at the phrases that we have learnt today and ready them out loud to yourself 6 times each. Once you have those committed to memory try and translate the English sentences back to Japanese without looking at the translation.
Once you have done this you will be able to understand and comprehend the patterns easily. The last thing that you need to do is create 5 – 10 examples of your own so you can become confident in using it. Remember, if you don’t use it, you will lose it. It’s very easy to forge things that you are not using at all. We strongly suggest that you implement this technique as this is arguably the most important part of the lesson.
So, there we have it guys, we really hope that you have enjoyed today’s online Japanese lessons from Bondingo. If you have any more questions or ideas for content that you would like us to post in the future, please do not hesitate to get in touch as we love to hear your ideas. Keep studying, pushing forward and never give up in the trying times. If it’s difficult, it means you are challenging yourself. See you next time everyone またね.
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