► 副助詞
か [か] meaning: or rank: 1
☆ 成功か否かは未だはっきりしない ⇨ It is still unclear whether it is a success or not
☆ 行くか行かないか、未だ決めていない ⇨ I haven’t decided yet whether I will go or won’t go
☆ 彼の言う事は嘘だか本当だか良く分からない ⇨ I’m not sure what he says is a lie or truth (☛ “嘘だか本当だか” is the same with “嘘か本当か”, but the former is more colloquial)
か [か] meaning: uncertainty rank: 1
☆ これ以上どうすればいいのか分からない ⇨ I don’t know what more I am supposed to do
☆ スキーは何年か前に一度したことがある ⇨ I skied once some years ago
☆ どうすれば蓋が開くのか分からない ⇨ I can’t figure out how to open the lid
☆ どうやったら彼はああいう結論に達するのか不思議だ ⇨ I wonder how he gets to that conclusion
☆ どれにしようか迷っている ⇨ I can’t decide which one to pick
☆ 何かおかしい ⇨ Something is not right
☆ 何か食べたい？ ⇨ Do you want to eat something?
☆ 年のせいか最近疲れが溜まる ⇨ Maybe because of my age, tiredness lingers, I feel tired all the time
☆ 彼が本当にそう言ったのかははっきりしていない ⇨ It is not clear if he really said so
☆ 彼は彼女にどうすべきか聞いた ⇨ He asked her what he should do
☆ 彼女のことが何故か気になる ⇨ I can’t help thinking about her for some reason
☆ 春のせいかやたらと眠い ⇨ Maybe because it is spring, I’m so sleepy
☆ 未来がどうなるのかは誰にも分からない ⇨ Nobody knows what future becomes, holds
☆ 来週彼に会いに行こうかと思っている ⇨ I’m thinking about going to see him next week
☆ 物事が計画通りに行くのか疑問だ ⇨ It is doubtful that things would go as planned
☆ 誰かが私をつけている ⇨ Someone’s following me
☆ 誰に投票するか未だ決めていない ⇨ I still haven’t decided who I will vote for
► 終助詞
か [か] [coll] meaning: how about rank: 1
☆ 一杯やりましょうか？ ⇨ How about a drink?
☆ 中華料理屋に行こうか？ ⇨ How about going to a Chinese restaurant?
☆ 今日はこれぐらいにしようか？ ⇨ How about calling it a day for today?
か [か] [coll] meaning: maybe rank: 1
☆ あいつら道に迷ったんじゃないか？ ⇨ Didn’t those guys get lost?
☆ これだけあれば十分じゃないですか？ ⇨ I guess this is enough, don’t you think?
か [か] [coll] meaning: question rank: 1
☆ お前狂ったのか？ ⇨ Have you gone insane?
☆ これ使ってもいいですか？ ⇨ Can I use this?
☆ もうこれ以上いらないのか？ ⇨ You don’t need any more?
☆ 窓を開けてもいいでしょうか？ ⇨ Is it OK if I open the window?
か [か] [peer] meaning: rhetorical question rank: 1
☆ お前アホか ⇨ Are you stupid?
か [か] [junior] meaning: rhetorical question rank: 1
☆ お前そんなことも知らないのか ⇨ You don’t even know that?
か [か] meaning: rhetorical question rank: 1
☆ 思い切ってやってみようか ⇨ Why not give it a shot?
☆ 我々ははっきり主張をするべきではないでしょうか ⇨ Shouldn’t we express our opinion clearly?
か [か] [coll] meaning: surprise rank: 1
☆ ああ、そうだったのか！ ⇨ Oh, so that was it!
☆ ああ、もう12時か ⇨ Oh, it is already 12 (midnight, noon)
か [か] [coll] [junior] [男] meaning: command rank: 3
☆ いい加減にしないか！ ⇨ Why don’t you stop it already?
► 成句
蚊 [か] [蚊の鳴くような声] meaning: timid rank: 4
☆ 彼女は蚊の鳴くような声で答えた ⇨ She answered in a very faint, timid, voice (☛ Literally “voice like mosquito flying”, but it does not mean “annoying like mosquito”, but rather someone’s voice is very faint out of fear, embarrassment, etc.)
► 名詞
可 [か] [liter] meaning: acceptable rank: 2
☆ 書類は複製でも可です ⇨ Copies of the documents are also acceptable
可 [か] [liter] meaning: possible rank: 2
☆ 予約は変更可 ⇨ An appointment can be changed
科 [か] meaning: group rank: 2
☆ この病院では婦人科と産科は独立した科になっている ⇨ Gynecology and obstetrics are individual departments in this hospital (☛ Typically academic or scientific grouping)
☆ 放射線科の受付 ⇨ The reception desk of radiology section (☛ Typically academic or scientific grouping)
蚊 [か] meaning: mosquito rank: 2
☆ 蚊に噛まれた ⇨ I got bitten by a mosquito (☛ Ubiquitous in Japan)
課 [か] meaning: section rank: 2
☆ 経理課 ⇨ An accounting section (☛ An organizational section, a sub-section of 部（ぶ）)
► 接尾辞
下 [か] [liter] meaning: under rank: 2
☆ その国は独裁者の支配下にある ⇨ The country is under the rule of the dictator
☆ 彼は薬物の影響下にある ⇨ He is under the influence of substance
化 [か] [liter] meaning: become rank: 2
☆ 多くの政治家は未だに地球温暖化を否定している ⇨ Many politicians still deny global warming
化 [か] [化する] [liter] meaning: become rank: 2
☆ 世界中で肥満が深刻化している ⇨ Obesity is becoming more and more serious all over the world
化 [か] [liter] meaning: make rank: 2
☆ 彼等は電池の高性能化と小型化を追求している ⇨ They are pursuing to make batteries more high-performance and smaller
化 [か] [化する] [liter] meaning: make rank: 2
☆ 思考を現実化するには何が必要か？ ⇨ What does it take to realize an idea, turn an idea into reality?
家 [か] meaning: person rank: 2
☆ 彼は大変な自信家だ ⇨ He is very self-confident (☛ A person with a specific personality trait. More formal than 屋)
☆ 彼女は大変な努力家だ ⇨ She is a real hard worker (☛ A person with a specific personality trait. More formal than 屋)
家 [か] meaning: professional rank: 2
☆ 彼は有名な彫刻家、舞踊家、音楽家だ ⇨ He is a famous sculptor, dancer, musician (☛ Typically used for artistic experts)
More examples:
- 仏教は中国から日本に伝わった ⇨ Buddhism came to Japan from China
- 乗り掛かった舟だ ⇨ It is a ship I am half-boarded. It is something I’m already involved (so might as well continue)
- この役は有名女優なら誰でも良いという訳には行かない ⇨ It’s not like any famous actress can play this role
- このまますごすご引き下がる訳には行かない ⇨ We can’t just back down meekly
- 負けて堪るか ⇨ I cannot allow myself to lose
- そんなことをして何の意味があるのか分からない ⇨ I don’t understand what is the meaning, point, of doing something like that
- 物腰の柔らかな人 ⇨ A mild-mannered person
- 神戸は昔から重要な港だった ⇨ Kobe has been an important port since the old days
- 彼は心静かに死を迎えた ⇨ He met his death with a calm mind, calmly
- 誰かが玄関の鐘を鳴らした ⇨ Someone rang the doorbell
- あちらがどう思っているかは私には分かりません ⇨ I am not sure what she is thinking
- 洪水で床が水に浸かった ⇨ The floor went under water by the flood
- 彼がいてくれた御蔭で精神的に助かった ⇨ I was helped emotionally thanks to his presence. His being there helped me emotionally
- 彼は素質はあるが、未だ磨かれていない ⇨ He has a natural talent but hasn’t been polished yet
- 森の中で死体が見つかったと警察に通報が有った ⇨ There was a 911 call to the police that a dead body was found in the forest