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じゃないか (ja nai ka) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Isn't It?

Author Anna Baffa Volpe for article 'じゃないか (ja nai ka) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Isn't It?'

Anna Baffa Volpe

The structure じゃないか (janaika) is a negative interrogative form and means isn't it?, right?.

It is preceded by nouns, adjectives and verbs.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of じゃないか, how it is formed and when じゃないか is used through real example sentences.

How and when to use じゃないか

This structure is used to express emotions such as surprise at something unexpected, but also blame and anger depending on the situation.

With this form you also ask your interlocutor for confirmation of what you are saying.

It is true, isn't it? Right?

Expression: いいじゃないか: Why not? It's fine, isn't it?, Never mind.

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いいじゃないか? It's good, isn't it?

まちがったっていいじゃないか。

It doesn't matter if you're wrong.

How じゃないか is formed

じゃないか is formed:

  • by じゃない or ではない, negative forms of the copula だ
  • and by the interrogative particle か

ではないか is more formal than じゃないか.

Noun+じゃないか

不(ふ)景(けい)気(き) refers to recession, crisis and 影(えい)響(きょう) means influence, effect, impact

これは不(ふ)景(けい)気(き)の影(えい)響(きょう)ではないか。

This is the recession’s effect, isn't it?

Adjective in い+じゃないか

高(たか)い Adjective in い, means high, expensive, expensive

このレストランは高(たか)いじゃないか。

This restaurant is expensive, isn't it?

Adjective in な without な+じゃないか

素(す)敵(てき)な Adjective in な means beautiful, magnificent, splendid

Title of a CD by The Beach Boys: 『Wouldn't It Be Nice』

Isn't that lovely?
素(す)敵(てき)な: beautiful, nice

素(す)敵(てき)じゃないか。

Wouldn't it be nice?

十(じゅう)分(ぶん)な means enough, sufficient

もう十(じゅう)分(ぶん)じゃないか？

Isn't that enough?

Verb+じゃないか

料(りょう)理(り)を全(ぜん)部(ぶ)一人(ひとり)で作(つく)ったじゃないか。

You did all the cooking by yourself, didn't you?

With adjectives ending in い and verbs we often find the form んじゃないか.

いやな風(かぜ)だ。台(たい)風(ふう)が来(く)るんじゃないか。

It's a nasty wind, isn't there a typhoon coming?

彼(かれ)の話(はな)し方(かた)から彼(かれ)が医(い)者(しゃ)ではないかと思(おも)った。

The way he spoke made me think he was a doctor.

Volitive / exhortative form and じゃないか

Another common structure is formed by じゃないか or ではないか combined with the volitive / exhortative form of the verb. We translate this form as: come on let's do!, why don't we do?

Volitive form in よう - おう+じゃないか

Ichidan verbs: the volitive form is obtained by removing the syllable る and adding よう.

食(た)べる
食(た)べる
食(た)べる
食(た)べようじゃないか
  • Why don't we eat?
  • Come on, let's eat! Godan Verbs: the Volitive form uses the Base in お or B5 + the vowel う.
飲(の)む
飲(の)む
飲(の)む
飲(の)もうじゃないか
  • Let's drink come on!
  • Why don't we drink?

彼(かれ)の話(はなし)を最(さい)後(ご)まで聞(き)こうじゃないか。

Let's listen to him until the end, shall we?

ちょっと疲(つか)れたから、この辺(あた)りで少(すこ)し休(きゅう)憩(けい)しようじゃないか。

I'm a bit tired, so why don't we have a little rest around here?

  • Since I'm a bit tired, let's rest here for a moment!

今日(きょう)は食(た)べたり飲(の)んだりして楽(たの)しもうじゃないか。

Why don't we eat, drink and have fun today?

In this last sentence we find a form commonly used in Japanese: たり～する to list a sequence of actions.

誰(だれ)もやらないのなら、わたしがやろうじゃないか。

If no one else will do it, I will do it.

  • If no one does it, it means that I will.

Examples of じゃないか

全(ぜん)然(ぜん)電(でん)話(わ)がつながらない。もしかして番(ばん)号(ごう)が間(ま)違(ちが)っているのではないか。

I can't get through on the phone at all. Perhaps the number is wrong.

その逆(ぎゃく)じゃないか？

Isn't it the opposite?

コンピュータを壊(こわ)してしまったじゃないか。

You broke your computer.

Similar grammar points in Japanese 📚

～ていく

～ていく (teiku) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Keep Doing

てよかった

てよかった (te yokatta) Meaning Japanese Grammar - I'm Glad That...

それでもいい

それでもいい (soredemoii) Meaning Japanese Grammar - It's Fine

それでも

それでも (sore demo) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Still

させられる・せられる

させられる・せられる (saserareru serareru) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Ｔo Be Made To Do Something

ないで

ないで (naide) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Without Doing