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〜じゃないか・〜ではないか

isn't it! (reproach, surprise, invitation)

Plain form + じゃないか · Volitional + じゃないか

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じゃないか at the end of a sentence isn't really a question. It's emphatic, and its tone depends on context.

Reproach: だから言ったじゃないか, "I told you so, didn't I!"; 遅かったじゃないか, "you're late!"

Surprise or praise: すごいじゃないか!, "that's amazing!"

Invitation, after a volitional: みんなで頑張ろうじゃないか, "let's all give it our best!", typical of speeches.

In casual speech, じゃない with falling intonation does the same job. Compare のではないか (N3), which is a tentative opinion ("I think maybe"), not an exclamation. With rising intonation, じゃない? turns into a real question asking for agreement.

Register: Emphatic; often masculine or teacherly. Softer: じゃない.

Examples

  • だから言いったじゃないか。

    I told you so, didn't I!

  • 遅おそかったじゃないか。心配しんぱいしたよ。

    You're late! I was worried.

  • すごいじゃないか!合格ごうかくしたんだね。

    That's amazing! You passed!

  • みんなで頑張がんばろうじゃないか。

    Let's all give it our best!

  • 約束やくそくが違ちがうじゃないか。

    That's not what we agreed!

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