JLPT N4 grammar

〜だいmeaning and usage

Meaning

  1. Turns sentence A into a question (casual).
  2. Used by young males to make an assertion (ending in A)

This point is also listed at N3.

How to form it

  • question wordだい
  • verb (plain form)/い-adjectiveんだい
  • な-adjective (stem)/nounだい

How it is used

Ends a question containing a question word, in a relaxed tone used mostly by men, especially older men, to people they know: 「何だい」, 「どうしたんだい」. Yes/no questions take 「かい」. Boys may also use it to insist: 「平気だい」.

Examples

  1. なぜ君は僕に冷たいんだい？

    Why are you cold with me?

  2. 元気がないね。どうしたんだい？

    You look down. What's the matter?

  3. ぼく、一人でもできるんだい！

    I can do it by myself!