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〜かどうか

whether (or not)

Plain form / Noun + かどうか

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かどうか turns a yes/no question into part of a sentence: 明日行けるかどうか分かりません, "I don't know whether I can go tomorrow". It's literally "whether … or how".

It follows plain forms; nouns and な-adjectives take it directly, without だ: 本当かどうか, "whether it's true".

It usually goes with verbs of knowing, asking and deciding: 分かる, 知る, 聞く, 決める, 確かめる.

For questions with a question word (who, what, when), you just use か, the next point: 誰が来るか分からない.

In speech, かどうか is often cut to just か (行けるか分からない), but the full form is clearer, and it's the one you'll see in writing.

Examples

  • 明日行あしたいけるかどうか分わかりません。

    I don't know whether I can go tomorrow.

  • この話はなしが本当ほんとうかどうか知しりません。

    I don't know if this story is true.

  • おいしいかどうか、食たべてみます。

    I'll try it and see whether it's any good.

  • 田中たなかさんが来くるかどうか聞きいてください。

    Please ask whether Tanaka's coming.

  • 行いくかどうか、まだ決きめていません。

    I haven't decided yet whether to go.

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