JLPT N4 grammar

〜かいmeaning and usage

Meaning

Follows A; turning the sentence into a yes/no question (casual).

How to form it

  • verb (plain form)/い-adjectiveかい
  • noun/な-adjective (stem)かい
  • verb (plain form)のかい

How it is used

A casual yes/no question with a friendly tone, used mostly by men, especially older men talking to someone younger or familiar; it can sound old-fashioned. With a question word, use 「だい」 instead: 「何だい」. It is not used to superiors.

Examples

  1. 本当にできるのかい？

    Can you really do it?

  2. もう宿題は終わったかい。

    Have you finished your homework?

  3. その荷物、重くないかい？

    Isn't that bag heavy?

  4. 新しい学校は好きかい？

    Do you like your new school?