Wondering with かな

Usage Notes

かな follows the plain form of verbs and い-adjectives. Nouns and な-adjectives take it directly, without だ, as in 先生(せんせい)かな and 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)かな. In the past, they take だったかな. When the speaker wonders about the reason behind something, の comes before かな, as in 行(い)くのかな.

かな is casual. Polite speech uses でしょうか instead, or puts かな inside a longer sentence, as in 〜かなと思(おも)います. The stretched forms かなあ, かなぁ, and かなー sound more drawn out and thoughtful. かしら means the same as かな, and fiction treats it as feminine.

What comes before かな can change the meaning. After a volitional form, as in 帰(かえ)ろうかな, it floats a plan, “maybe I’ll go home”. After a negative, as in 早(はや)く来(こ)ないかな, it often makes a wish, “I wish they’d hurry up and come”.

Formation

Wondering to Yourself

かな turns a sentence into a question the speaker asks themselves. か makes the question, and な keeps it inward. Nobody has to answer, though people often do.

Kotoha brings news that the old woman who runs the croquette shop has a case for Colors. The trio heads out to the shop to get the details.

結衣(ゆい):

「事件(じけん)解決(かいけつ)したらコロばあコロッケくれるかな」

“If we resolve the case, will she give us croquettes?”

琴葉(ことは):

「牛肉(ぎゅうにく)コロッケがいい」

“Beef croquette would be nice.”

さっちゃん:

「コーンが１番だぞ」

“Corn is best!”

View Full Example

Kotoha brings news that Koro-baa, the old woman who runs the croquette shop, has a case for Colors. On the way there, Yui thinks about the reward. 事件(じけん)解決(かいけつ)したら sets up the condition, “if we solve the case”. コロッケくれるかな wonders what will follow, “will she give us croquettes?” Yui isn’t asking her friends, since they can’t know either. They answer anyway, and each one names the croquette she wants.

Wondering About a Reason with のかな

When the speaker sees something and wonders what’s behind it, の comes before かな. This is the same の as in 〜のだ. のかな is one of the most common shapes かな takes.

Takeo and his friends board the train bound for the amusement park, MM Land.

凛子(りんこ):

「すっごい人(ひと)だね。みんなＭＭランド行(い)くのかな」

“There's a lot of people here. I wonder if everyone's going to MM Land.”

隼人(はやと):

「連休(れんきゅう)だから混(こ)むよねー」

“It's a long holiday, so it'll be crowded.”

愛(あい):

「入場(にゅうじょう)制限(せいげん)とかなんないといーけど」

“I hope they don't restrict admission or anything.”

View Full Example

Takeo and his friends board a train to the MM Land amusement park, and the car is packed. Rinko wonders why. みんなＭＭランド行(い)くのかな means “I wonder if everyone’s going to MM Land”. 行(い)くかな without の would wonder whether they’ll go at all. With の, Rinko is guessing at the reason for the crowd in front of her. Hayato answers with a reason of his own, 連休(れんきゅう)だから, “it’s a long holiday”.

Explaining a Question with かなって

Someone who asks a question out of nowhere often explains it afterward. 〜かなと思(おも)って means “I was wondering if…”. Casual speech shortens it to 〜かなって and leaves off 思(おも)って.

Example 1 of 2: Hesitant to wear contacts with 抵抗

Example 1 of 2

Seeing Shun again for the first time in seven years, Sana notices he’s now wearing glasses. She asks him why he doesn’t wear contacts.

紗奈(さな):

「周(まわ)りはコンタクト多(おお)いからどうしてかなーって」

“Most people wear contacts, so I was kind of wondering why.”

「目(め)に何(なに)か入(い)れるの抵抗(ていこう)あったとか？」

“Is it because you're hesitant with putting something in your eye?”

駿(しゅん):

「それは…」

“Well...”

View Full Example

Sana is seeing Shun for the first time in seven years, and he wears glasses now. She has just asked why he doesn’t wear contacts. 周(まわ)りはコンタクト多(おお)いから, “lots of people around us wear contacts”, is her reason for asking. どうしてかなーって is “so I was wondering why”. A question word such as どうして, 何(なん), or 誰(だれ) takes かな directly, as in 何(なん)かな, “I wonder what it is”. Sana then offers a guess of her own, 抵抗(ていこう)あったとか？, “were you uneasy about it or something?”

Example 2 of 2: Preparing to contact Asuka Jr. with 連絡

Example 2 of 2

Takamiya suspects Meimi is the magical thief Saint Tail. When Meimi is asked to model a wedding dress for a design contest where Saint Tail is going to appear, Takamiya decides to keep a close eye on her at the event. As Takamiya looks around the dressing room, Meimi asks what she’s doing.

高宮(たかみや):

「電話(でんわ)はどこかなと思(おも)って」

“I was just wondering where the phone is.”

「アスカと連絡(れんらく)をとることになってるの」

“I'm supposed to get in touch with Asuka.”

スタッフ:

「ちょっと…あなた！」

“Hey… you!”

View Full Example

Takamiya suspects Meimi of being the thief Saint Tail and is keeping an eye on her at a wedding dress contest. When Meimi asks what she’s doing in the dressing room, Takamiya covers with 電話(でんわ)はどこかなと思(おも)って, “I was just wondering where the phone is”. This is the full form, with と思(おも)って spelled out. The question word どこ takes かな directly.

Doubting a Claim

ホントかな, “I wonder if that’s true”, is a gentle way of saying you don’t believe someone. The speaker wonders instead of accusing.

Seeing a frozen puddle on the ground, Nishikata is excited at the thought of picking it up and holding it. Takagi asks if this is what he’s thinking, and he quickly denies it.

西片(にしかた):

「そんな…　小学生(しょうがくせい)じゃあるまいし。」

“It's not like I'm some kind of...grade-schooler.”

高木(たかぎ):

「ふーん。ホントかな。」

“Hm, I wonder...”

View Full Example

Nishikata and Takagi are walking past a frozen puddle. Nishikata gets excited at the thought of picking up the ice, and Takagi guesses what he’s thinking. He denies it, saying he’s not a grade-schooler. Takagi answers ホントかな. She doesn’t call him a liar. She wonders out loud, close enough for him to hear. ホント is a casual spelling of 本当(ほんとう).

Softening an Answer

After a statement, かな makes it tentative, like “I guess” or “maybe”. The speaker gives an answer but leaves room to be wrong.

Example 1 of 3: 私 among friends in class

Example 1 of 3

Yukari asks Mina and Sanae if they have any special skills.

ミナ:

「私(わたし)、料理(りょうり)かなー。」

“For me, perhaps it's cooking.”

サナエ:

「私(わたし)、マラソン。」

“Me, it's marathon running.”

View Full Example

Yukari asks Mina and Sanae whether they have any special skills. Mina answers 料理(りょうり)かなー, “cooking, I guess”. 料理(りょうり) is a noun, so かな follows it directly, without だ, and the stretched ー makes her sound like she’s still thinking it over. Sanae just says マラソン, “marathon running”. With no かな, her answer sounds much surer.

Example 2 of 3: Poor vision without glasses with 裸眼

Example 2 of 3

Shun asks Ayumu to continue switching places with him, since pretending to be Ayumu helps him be more open. Ayumu is game, but this requires Shun to go without his glasses, so Ayumu suggests he get contact lenses. Shun asks, “Contacts?”

歩(あゆむ):

「そう！眼(め)悪(わる)いんでしょ？」

“That's right! You have bad eyesight, don't you?”

駿(しゅん):

「0.6くらいだから裸眼(らがん)だとぎりぎり生活(せいかつ)できるくらいかな…」

“My vision's about 0.6, so without glasses, I can just barely get by in daily life...”

View Full Example

Shun and Ayumu have been switching places, which means Shun has to go without his glasses. Ayumu suggests contacts and asks whether his eyes are bad. Shun’s vision is about 0.6, so without glasses he can ぎりぎり, “just barely”, get by. かな turns this into a rough estimate instead of a firm claim, and the trailing … makes him sound unsure.

Example 3 of 3: Sensation of a bit cooled down with 〜気味

Example 3 of 3

かな can also soften a statement the speaker is sure of, to keep it from sounding blunt.

While visiting her friend Hiromi, Yukiko is the last one to use the heated bath. That is, except for Hiromi’s mother-in-law who will take a bath after returning from a late party.

広美(ひろみ):

「あ、どうだった湯加減(ゆかげん)？」

“Ah, how was the water temperature?”

有希子(ゆきこ):

「ちょっと冷(さ)めぎみ…だったかな…」

“Maybe it's slightly cooled down a bit...”

View Full Example

Yukiko is staying the night at her friend Hiromi’s house, which has an old wood-fired bath. When she comes out, Hiromi asks how the water was. It had cooled off, but Yukiko is a guest. 冷(さ)めぎみ, “a bit on the cool side”, already softens the complaint, and だったかな softens it again. She has just gotten out of the bath, so she knows how warm it was. The かな is there to be polite to her host, not because she’s unsure.

冷(さ)めぎみ works like a noun, so the past form is だった, with かな after it.

Asking Without Pressure

A request that ends in かな gives the listener room to say no. 〜てくれるかな asks “could you, maybe?”, and 〜てもいいかな asks “would it be okay if…?”

Example 1 of 2: A schoolyard chicken coop with 小屋

Example 1 of 2

After Takeo (Gouda) has helped her out multiple times, Saijou considers confessing her feelings to him. She waits for him near the shoe lockers before class.

西城(さいじょう):

「あのっ　今日(きょう)剛田(ごうだ)に話(はなし)があるんだ」

“Um... I need to talk to you today.”

「放課後(ほうかご)ニワトリ小屋(ごや)の前(まえ)に来(き)てくれるかな」

“Could you come to the chicken coop after school?”

View Full Example

Saijou has decided to tell Takeo how she feels, and she waits for him by the shoe lockers before class. 来(き)てくれる？ would ask him straight out to come to the chicken coop after school. With かな, she asks as if she were only wondering whether he will. It’s still a request, but a nervous one.

Example 2 of 2: Asking to have tea with 〜てもいい

Example 2 of 2

Following a misunderstanding, Cocoa and her friends ended up at the tea house where Syaro works.

ココア:

「せっかくだからお茶(ちゃ)してってもいいかな？」

“Since we have the chance, would it be okay if we had some tea ?”

シャロ:

「しょうがないわねー」

“I guess it can't be helped.”

View Full Example

A misunderstanding has brought Cocoa and her friends to the tea shop where Syaro works. せっかくだから, “since we’re here anyway”, is Cocoa’s reason for staying. お茶(ちゃ)してってもいい？ would ask directly whether they can have tea, and かな makes the question less pushy. Syaro gives in with しょうがないわねー, “I guess it can’t be helped”.

Making a Reluctant Offer

When the speaker is the one offering, 〜てもいいかな sounds grudging, “I suppose I could…”. The speaker treats the offer as a favor they haven’t quite decided to grant.

When Syaro is invited to study at the library with the others, she considers Rize may praise her for helping the others.

シャロ:

「そ　そんなに言(い)うなら教(おし)えてあげてもいいかなー」

“I-if you insist that much, maybe I could teach you if that's okay.”

ココア:

「そこまでは言(い)ってないよ！」

“I didn't say all that!”

View Full Example

Syaro has been invited to study at the library with the others, and she likes the idea of Rize seeing her help. 教(おし)えてあげてもいい is “I could teach you”. かなー makes it “I suppose I could teach you”, as if she still needs persuading.

Deciding What to Do with 〜ようかな

A volitional form plus かな floats a plan. The speaker is leaning toward doing something but hasn’t committed yet, much like “maybe I’ll…” or “I think I’ll…”. In casual speech, しようかな often shortens to しよっかな.

Hoping with 〜ないかな

A negative plus かな often makes a wish. 早(はや)く来(こ)ないかな literally asks “won’t it come soon, I wonder?”, but it means “I wish it would hurry up and come”. The speaker wants something to happen and can’t make it happen.

Offering an Opinion with じゃないかな

〜じゃないかな and 〜んじゃないかな mean “I think it might be…” or “isn’t it, maybe?” The speaker suspects something is true and offers the idea gently. こっちの方(ほう)がいいんじゃないかな means “I think this one might be better”.

Choosing Between かな, かしら, and だろうか

かな is casual, and anyone can use it. かしら means the same thing, but manga gives it to feminine characters, often refined or older ones. だろうか wonders in a more serious, reflective tone, and it’s common in narration and inner monologue. In polite speech, でしょうか usually works as a soft question to the listener rather than a musing.

• 明日(あした)、晴(は)れるかな。

• I wonder if it’ll be sunny tomorrow.

• 明日(あした)、晴(は)れるかしら。

• I wonder if it’ll be sunny tomorrow.

• 明日(あした)は晴(は)れるでしょうか。
• Do you think it’ll be sunny tomorrow?

Further Reading

• かな, Bunpro (bunpro.jp)
• Japanese Particle KANA, Tofugu (tofugu.com)

Related Grammar

• Presuming with 〜だろう and 〜でしょう
  • だろうか and でしょうか also wonder, in a more reflective or polite tone.
• Might with 〜かもしれない
  • かもしれない says something is possible. かな wonders whether it's true.
• Reasoning with 〜のだ
  • のかな uses the same の to wonder about an explanation.
• Receiving kindness with 〜てくれる
  • てくれるかな asks a favor without pressing for it.
• Permission to do with 〜てもいい
  • てもいいかな asks permission gently, or makes a grudging offer.
• Volitional with 〜う・〜よう
  • A volitional form plus かな, as in 帰ろうかな, floats a plan.
• Hoping with 〜といい
  • といいな hopes for an outcome. ないかな often wishes for one.
• Quoting and reporting with と and って
  • かなと思って and かなって report what the speaker was wondering.
• Seeking agreement with ね
  • ね reaches out to the listener. かな mostly talks to oneself.