かどうか (ka dou ka) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Whether or Not

The expression かどうか (ka dou ka) is used when we express doubt and uncertainty about whether an action is performed or not or whether it was performed in the past or not.

I don't know whether or not, if or not.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of かどうか, how it is formed and when かどうか is used through real example sentences.

かどうか Whether or not

かどうか is a widely used expression in Japanese, in situations of doubt, ambiguity and lack of clarity.

We do not know whether an action will be performed or not or we are not sure about a certain condition and situation.

We need to ask and verify to be sure.

Sentence A + かどうか + Sentence B

かどうか combines 2 sentences:

• in the first one the it is expressed the fact, the action
• in the second one, we often find in colloquial context the verb 分(わ)からない don't know if from the dictionary form 分(わ)かる understand, know.

The second sentence uses verbs and expressions of various kinds.

We can find the following verbs after かどうか:

• 知(し)る know
• 分(わ)かる know, understand
• 確(たし)かめる check, make sure
• 尋(たず)ねる ask, enquire
• 迷(まよ)う be in doubt, hesitate

How かどうか is formed

The expression is formed

• by the interrogative particle か which replaces in Japanese the question mark ?
• the interrogative pronoun どう meaning how?

⇨ 晴(は)れるか晴(は)れないか: Is it sunny or isn't it sunny?

かどうか is often preceded by a verb in the potential form

Or we can also use:

Example using the noun 気(き)持(も)ち feeling, sensation

Noun 真(しん)実(じつ) truth, reality

い Adjective: 美味(おい)しい good-tasting, delicious

な Adkective: 好(す)きな favourite, preferred

元(げん)気(き)な: energetic, vigorous

⇨ Did you ask her if she's okay or not?

Examples of かどうか

• 疑(うたが)わしい is a い Adjective and means doubtful and the verb from which it is derived 疑(うたが)う doubt