か～か
Choose between alternatives: “or”
You’ll be able to use AかB for a simple alternative and AかBか when explicitly considering “whether A or B.”
コーヒーかお茶を飲みます。
koohii ka ocha o nomimasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
I’ll drink coffee or tea.
Offer alternatives with “or”
Use か between A and B to mean “A or B.” In a simple sentence, one か is enough: コーヒーかお茶を飲みます。 When the two alternatives themselves are being asked about or considered, you can mark both of them: AかBか.
肉か魚を食べます。
niku ka sakana o tabemasu.
I will eat meat or fish.
肉か魚か、どちらを食べますか。
niku ka sakana ka, dochira o tabemasu ka.
Which will you eat, meat or fish?
Use one か for a simple “A or B”
Put か between the alternatives. A particle such as を, に, or で normally follows B and applies to the whole A-or-B phrase, so do not add a second か in this simple pattern.
電車かバスで行きます。
densha ka basu de ikimasu.
I will go by train or bus.
土曜日か日曜日に会いましょう。
doyoubi ka nichiyoubi ni aimashou.
Let’s meet on Saturday or Sunday.
パンかご飯を食べます。
pan ka gohan o tabemasu.
I will eat bread or rice.
Use AかBか when considering both alternatives
Add か after B when the alternatives themselves are what someone is choosing, asking about, or trying to determine. This often corresponds to “whether A or B.” The second か closes the second alternative; it is not simply a more correct version of AかB. In a question ending in ですか, that final か marks the whole sentence as a question and is separate from the two alternative markers.
コーヒーかお茶か、どちらがいいですか。
koohii ka ocha ka, dochira ga ii desu ka.
Coffee or tea—which is better?
電車かバスか、どちらで行きますか。
densha ka basu ka, dochira de ikimasu ka.
Which will you go by, train or bus?
本当かうそか分かりません。
hontou ka uso ka wakarimasen.
I don’t know whether it is true or false.
One か or two?
AかB simply places “or” between two alternatives inside a sentence. AかBか marks the end of each alternative when the choice itself is being considered.
AかB, simple “or”
コーヒーかお茶を飲みます。
koohii ka ocha o nomimasu.
I will drink coffee or tea.
Only one か is needed. を follows B and marks the whole choice as what is drunk.
AかBか, alternatives under consideration
コーヒーかお茶か、どちらがいいですか。
koohii ka ocha ka, dochira ga ii desu ka.
Coffee or tea—which is better?
The second か explicitly closes B because the two alternatives themselves are being compared.
朝はパンかご飯を食べます。
asa wa pan ka gohan o tabemasu.
I eat bread or rice in the morning.
学校へ電車かバスで行きます。
gakkou e densha ka basu de ikimasu.
I go to school by train or bus.
家か図書館で勉強します。
ie ka toshokan de benkyou shimasu.
I study at home or at the library.
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