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N3

っけ

What is…again?, Was it... that... ?, Did you say...?

今日きょうの朝あさは朝あさご飯はんを食たべたっけ。

Did I eat breakfast this morning?

Explanation

「っけ」 has 2 uses

1Checking what you forgot

You can't remember and check with someone or yourself: 「今日は何曜日だっけ？」

そんなもの家いえにあったっけ？

Did we have something like that at home?

今日きょうの朝あさは朝あさご飯はんを食たべたっけ。

Did I eat breakfast this morning?

2Fondly recalling

Talking to yourself about the past, often 「〜たっけ」: 「子供の頃、よくこの川で遊んだっけ」 (I used to play by this river as a kid).

学生がくせいの頃ころは、毎晩まいばん友達ともだちと電話でんわしたっけなあ。

Back in school, I used to call friends every night.

昔むかしはこの駅えきの前まえに、小ちいさな本屋ほんやがあったっけ。

There used to be a little bookshop in front of this station.

Mixed up with

Only for something you once knew and have momentarily forgotten. It can't be used for something you never knew: meeting someone for the first time, you can't ask 「あなたのお名前は何だっけ？」; say 「お名前は何とおっしゃいますか」.

The polite forms are 「〜でしたっけ」 and 「〜ましたっけ」, natural for checking small things with coworkers.

Examples

1Checking what you forgot

あれ、テイラーの車くるまって青あおかったっけ。
Huh, was Taylor's car blue?
土曜日どようびって暇ひまだっけ。
Was I free on Saturday, again?
そんなもの家いえにあったっけ？
Did we have something like that at home?
あの人ひと誰だれだっけ。やばい、思おもい出だせない。
Who was that again? Shoot, I can't remember.
クミコって納豆なっとう食たべれるんだっけ。
Can Kumiko eat natto?
レポートの修正しゅうせいは君きみがやってるんだっけ。
You are the one editing the paper, right?
明日あしたって晴はれるんだっけ？
It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, isn't it?
もうすぐ梅雨つゆも終おわりだっけ？
The rainy season is ending soon, isn't it?
この資料しりょう渡わたしたっけ？
Did I give you this document?
一昨日おとといもラーメン食たべたっけ？
Did we have ramen the day before yesterday too?
納豆なっとうを食たべられないんだっけ？
You can't eat natto, right?
まだ雪ゆきを見みたことないんだっけ？
Did you say that you had never seen snow before?
トムの友達ともだちって、会あったことあったっけ？
Did you say that you had met Tom's friend?
沖縄おきなわには行いったことないんだっけ？
Did you say that you had never been to Okinawa?
この学校がっこうに入はいるのがずっと夢ゆめだったんだっけ？
Did you say that you had been wanting to get in this school?
日本語にほんごの勉強べんきょうはいつから始はじめたんだっけ？
When did you say that you started studying Japanese?
日本にほんの文化ぶんかについて発表はっぴょうをしたのは誰だれだったっけ？
Who was it that gave the talk about Japanese culture?
トムって日本語にほんご話はなせるっけ。
Can Tom speak Japanese?
この道みちって通とおれるっけ。
Can we get through on this road?
あそこのレストランって犬いぬを連つれていけるっけ。
Can you take dogs into that restaurant over there?
あれ、カギ掛かけたっけ。
Huh, did I lock the door?

2Fondly recalling

学生がくせいの頃ころは、毎晩まいばん友達ともだちと電話でんわしたっけなあ。
Back in school, I used to call friends every night.
昔むかしはこの駅えきの前まえに、小ちいさな本屋ほんやがあったっけ。
There used to be a little bookshop in front of this station.
子こどもの頃ころ、夏なつになると祖母そぼの家いえによく泊とまったっけ。
As a kid, I'd often stay at Grandma's in summer.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N2 · Dec 2022, Q38 N1 · Jul 2022, Q34