かas if …!; how could …?
A question nobody is meant to answer. Said with heat, a plain form and か mean the opposite of the words: "as if that could be", "who would go?". Rough in speech; in essays and speeches, a way to press a point.
How could anything so ridiculous be true?
Who would be convinced by an explanation like that?
How to form it
Plain form + か
あるか, できるか, 納得するか. A noun takes か with no だ: それでもプロか, "and you call yourself a professional?".
- How it sounds
- Usually heated and rough: anger, scorn, or refusing to give in. In dramas and manga it is more often a man's line.
- Often with
- そんな, こんな, あんな, なんか, 二度と, or a question word: 誰が, どうして.
- Where you'll meet it
- Arguments, fiction, and people muttering to themselves.
Question, decision or denial?
Are you going to eat this?
A real question: the voice rises and waits. Between friends, usually no か.
Right, time to eat.
Said quietly: deciding what to do. もう五時か, "five already", is noticing. Nothing is denied.
As if anyone would eat this.
Heated, with こんな and 誰が, and nobody waits for an answer: a strong no.
Positive means no, negative means yes
As if I'd ever come to a place like this again.
I won't.
How could I run away alone and leave behind the people I have to protect?
I can't.
How could I not be glad at this?
Negative: of course I'm glad.
Things people say
知るかhow should I know; what do I care
Whatever happens to him, what do I care.
てたまるかI refuse to …; I'll be damned if …
I'll be damned if I lose here.
In writing: だろうか, （よ）うか
Essays and speeches ask the same kind of question with だろうか, or with the literary （よ）うか on a "can" verb: できようか. Some answer it themselves: いや、….
Should we give up a plan of many years over a setback this small? No. We cannot stop here.
How could anyone trust a person who breaks promise after promise?
Close neighbours
ものかN2
The same "as if!", made unmistakable by もの: nobody takes 行くものか for a real question. Spoken もんか.
As if I'd ever go to that place again.
The polite question, ですか or ますか: the voice rises, and an answer is wanted.
Who is going to tomorrow's meeting?
わけがないN3
The same "no way" as a plain statement, and the one to say yourself.
There is no way he would believe a story like that.
Check yourself
1What is B saying?
A
Choose an answer to see why.
2What does this mean?
こんな
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
As if one setback could make all our effort so far worthless.
What value could a baseless rumor possibly have?
With evidence this clear in front of us, could anyone still deny his involvement?