～っけ
Ask yourself or someone to remind you
You’ll be able to casually check a fact or detail that you once knew but are trying to remember.
あの木にいる青い鳥、なんていう名前だったっけ？
ano ki ni iru aoi tori, nante iu namae datta kke?
What do you think this sentence means?
What was the name of that blue bird in that tree again?
Casually recall or confirm a forgotten detail
～っけ is a casual conversational ending used when you are trying to remember a detail you once knew, asking yourself or someone close to refresh your memory.
明日は休みだったっけ？
ashita wa yasumi datta kke?
Was tomorrow a day off again?
田中さんの誕生日、いつだったっけ？
tanaka san no tanjoubi, itsu datta kke?
When was Tanaka-san's birthday again?
Forming questions with っけ
Attach っけ typically to the plain past form (〜た / 〜だ / 〜だった) of verbs, adjectives, and copulas when jogging your memory.
あの映画はもう見たっけ？内容を思い出せないな。
ano eiga wa mou mita kke? naiyou o omoidasenai na.
Did I already watch that movie, again? I cannot recall the plot.
～か vs ～っけ
A plain question with か asks for something you don’t know. ～っけ asks about something you once knew but can’t remember now.
～ですか, question
このお店、何時までですか？
kono omise, nanji made desu ka?
What time is this shop open until?
You simply don’t know.
～でしたっけ, again?
このお店、何時まででしたっけ？
kono omise, nanji made deshita kke?
What time is this shop open until again?
You were told but forgot.
あれ、車、駐車場の何階に止めたっけ？
are, kuruma, chuushajou no nangai ni tometa kke?
Huh, which floor of the parking garage did I park the car on again?
佐藤さんの娘さんって、今何年生だったっけ？
satou-san no musume-san tte, ima nannensei datta kke?
What grade is Sato-san’s daughter in now, again?
あれ、今日って燃えるゴミの日だったっけ？
are, kyou tte moeru gomi no hi datta kke?
Wait, is today burnable trash day?
7 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.