and the like; such as; among other things
Lists examples non-exhaustively, often in the pattern ...とか...とか. Used in casual and neutral speech.
or something; something like; or whatever
Softens a statement, making it vague or less absolute. Sense 2 is often used with verbs like 言う or 聞く to convey hearsay; sense 4 is colloquial and typically follows a noun to add a casual, non-committal tone.
彼は病気だとか言って、来なかった。
He said he was sick or something and didn't come.
I hear that; people say that; rumor has it that
Sentence-ending use that marks hearsay or uncertain information. Often implies the speaker is not fully committed to the truth of the statement.
明日は雨が降るとか。
I hear it's going to rain tomorrow.
あの店、
On my days off, I do things like watch movies or read books.
On my days off, I spend time doing things like watching movies or reading books.
好きな食べ物は、寿司とかラーメンとかです。
My favorite foods are things like sushi and ramen.
新しいカフェとか行ってみない？
Wanna check out a new café or something?
People say that store closed down.
He said something about being busy and didn't come.
I heard something about you moving next month—is that true?
I hear that shop is closing at the end of this month.
How about going hiking or something this weekend?
や is a more formal or written-style particle for listing a few examples, while とか is casual and can also add hearsay or vagueness.
など is the more formal equivalent of 'and so on' used in writing, whereas とか is common in casual speech and can soften a statement.
らしい reports hearsay with a slightly more neutral, written-friendly tone, while sentence-final とか is casual and implies the speaker isn't fully committed.
とか is the common, casual listing particle for giving examples, while やら suggests a more chaotic or unwelcome mix of things.
なり in the 〈物〉なり sense politely suggests one example among options, while とか is a casual, everyday way of giving an example.
とか is a casual, colloquial way to list examples, while といった is more formal and typical of written or structured descriptions.
とか is a casual way to list examples of nouns or clauses, while たり is the standard grammatical pattern for listing representative actions, usually with 〜たりする.
とか is a neutral, everyday listing particle, while だの carries a more casual, often complaining or dismissive tone.
とか is a casual listing particle used in everyday conversation for examples, whereas なんぞ carries an old-fashioned, slightly contemptuous flavor.
とか is a casual spoken way to list examples loosely, whereas 等々 is more formal and used mainly in writing or formal speech.
とか is a casual listing particle without the emotional charge that なんて carries.
とか also softens a suggestion like でも, but とか more often lists or quotes multiple example items rather than a single loose one.
とか is used for casually listing examples without necessarily belittling them, while なんか usually carries a dismissive or lowering-in-value nuance.
Derived from the particle と combined with the question marker か, originally meaning 'or something like'. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the modern usage as a listing and hearsay particle is well-established.