Japanese with Manga

Thought you liked rain with 〜じゃなかったっけ

Grammar Explanation: Remembering with 〜っけ

Chii's mother, in an apron and holding a cloth, smiles down at Chii, who stands by a window streaked with rain.
からかい上手の（元）高木さん » Volume 4 » Page 76

It’s raining again. When her mother remarks on it, Chii scowls and says she hates rain. Her mother looks at her, surprised.

お母(かあ)さん:
「雨(あめ)は好(す)きじゃなかったっけ？」
“I thought you liked rain?”
Literal: “As for rain, wasn't it that you like it?”

Key Points

1〜じゃなかったっけ = “didn’t you…?” or “I thought…”
  • っけ checks something the speaker knew once. Here Chii’s mother remembers that Chii likes rain, and Chii has just said the opposite.
  • The negative question works like “didn’t you like rain?” in English. She expects the answer to be yes, so “I thought you liked rain?” fits.
2The past form points back to the memory
  • じゃなかった is the past negative of だ. The question is still about now: does Chii like rain today?
  • The past refers to when her mother learned it, not to a time when Chii liked rain and has since stopped.
3好(す)き is a な-adjective
  • 好(す)き takes the copula: 好(す)きだ, 好(す)きじゃない, 好(す)きじゃなかった.
4雨(あめ)は picks up Chii’s topic
  • Chii said あめきらい, “I hate rain.” Her mother makes 雨(あめ) the topic with は and asks about it.

Vocabulary

(Rain)

雨(あめ) is rain.

(Liked)

好(す)き describes something you like or someone you love.

See Also

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