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JLPT N4Sentence Ending Particles

かな— I wonder / I hope (self-wondering)

A sentence-final particle expressing self-directed wondering, mild hope, or uncertainty. More gender-neutral than かしら. Can also soften a suggestion or question aimed at oneself.

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Pro lessonUNIT 24 · SENTENCE ENDING PARTICLES

Structure · 形

[Plain form] + かな

Examples · 例文

  • 彼は来るかな。

    Kare wa kuru kana.

    I wonder if he'll come.

    来る (plain) + かな = self-directed wondering

  • もうちょっと早ければよかったかな。

    Mou chotto hayakereba yokatta kana.

    I wonder if it would have been better a little earlier.

    よかった + かな = regret / wishful retrospection

  • これでいいかな？

    Kore de ii kana?

    I wonder if this is okay? / Is this alright?

    いい + かな = seeking soft confirmation

Usage notes · 注意

  • Three uses: (1) wondering (彼は来るかな = I wonder if he'll come);
  • (2) wishful thinking (いいかな = I hope it's okay);
  • (3) softening (これでいいかな = is this okay?).
  • All genders use かな.
  • だろうか is the more formal equivalent.
  • No question mark needed when musing to yourself.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones かな is tested against.

vsかしら

かしら carries the same 'I wonder' feel but is markedly feminine; かな is gender-neutral.

vsかい (masculine question)

かい asks the listener directly for an answer; かな is you wondering to yourself, not demanding a reply.

vsだろうか

だろうか is the stiffer, more written/formal 'I wonder whether'; かな is the everyday spoken version.

More sentence ending particles

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