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N1

か否か

かいなか

Whether or not

この授業じゅぎょうを楽たのしむか否いなかは自分じぶん次第しだいだ。

Whether you enjoy this class or not is up to you.

Explanation

「か否か」 is the formal version of the spoken 「かどうか」. It means 'whether or not ...', treating yes and no as the question to discuss, check or decide.

Examples: 「彼が有罪であるか否かは裁判で決まる」 (Whether he is guilty will be decided in court), 「実現可能か否かを慎重に検討する」 (We will carefully examine whether it is feasible).

It is very formal and common in legal documents, papers, editorials and official texts.

Mixed up with

「かどうか」: fine in everyday speech and in ordinary writing.

「か否か」: formal written style with a calm, serious tone. In casual talk it sounds too stiff.

Examples

  1. 怖こわいか否いなかは別べつとして、この映画えいがはとても面白おもしろかった。

    Putting aside whether this movie was scary or not, it was really enjoyable.

  2. あの人ひとが貧乏びんぼうであるか否いなかは私わたしたちには関係かんけいのないことです。

    Whether that person is poor or not is none of our business.

  3. 自分じぶんの人生じんせいに満足まんぞくできるか否いなか、それはあなたの頑張がんばり次第しだいである。

    Whether or not you can be satisfied with your life depends on your own effort.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N1 · Dec 2022, Q40N1 · Jul 2016, Q38