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Particle
| A particle which marks an alternative. | (either)~or~ |
| 【Related Expression: それとも】 |
(ksa). 私は電車かバス(か)で行く・行きます。
I will go either by train or by bus.
(ksb). トムが行くかメアリーが行くかどちらかだ・です。
Either Tom will go or Mary will go.
| (i){V/Adjective い} informal | か | |
| {話す /話した}か | Either someone talks/talked or | |
| {高い /高かった}か | Either something is/was expensive or | |
| (ii){Adjective な stem/ N} | {Øだった}か | |
| {静か /静かだった}か | Either something is/was quiet or | |
| {先生 /先生だった}か | Either someone is/was a teacher or | |
| (iii)N1 か N2 | 先生か学生 | Either a teacher or a student |
(a). 私は毎朝ジュースかミルクを飲む。
I drink either juice or milk every morning.
(b). それはボブかマークかします。
As for that, either Bob or Mark will do it.
(c). 肉が高かったか一郎が嫌いだったかどちらかだ。
Either meat was expensive or Ichiro didn't like meat.
(d). 手紙を書くか電話をかけるかどちらかして下さい。
Either write a letter or make a call, please.
(e). 食べるか話すかどちらかにしなさい。
Decide on either eating or talking.
1. The basic function of か is to mark an alternative. It can mark either nouns or sentences. When it marks nouns, the final か is usually omitted. When it marks sentences, the sentences are subordinate clauses; that is, they must be in the informal form. The topic marker は must not be used.
2. か cannot be used to connect two questions. Thus, the following sentences are ungrammatical.
In this case, それとも is used instead of か.
(⇨ それとも)
【Related Expression】
それとも is also used with alternatives. However, the function of それとも is to connect two alternatives, not to mark an alternative. Thus, それとも appears with か, not in place of か. Examples:
[1]
[2]
それとも is optional in [1], but not in [2].