っけ
What is…again?, Was it... that... ?, Did you say...?
Structure
Verb［る］+ ん(1)だ + っけ
［い］Adjective［た］+ っけ
［な］Adjective + だった(2) + っけ
Noun + だった(2) + っけ
(1) の
(2) だ
Explanation
け is a sentence ending particle used when a speaker is trying to recall something they have forgotten. It expresses uncertainty and a desire for confirmation, much like adding '...was it?' or '...again?' to a question in English.
け is primarily attached to the past tense forms of the auxiliary verbs だ and た. This means that in practice, you will almost always see it as either だっけ or たっけ.
- 今日の朝、薬を飲んだっけ。Did I take my medicine this morning?
- あれ、この料理ってそんなに辛かったっけ。Wait, was this dish this spicy?
- パーティーって金曜日だっけ。Was the party on Friday, again?
- あの人の名前、何だっけ。全然思い出せない。What was that person's name again? I totally can't remember.
In order to use け with other verb forms, it is common to add のだ or its more casual form, んだ, just before it.
- 鈴木さんって、猫アレルギーなんだっけ。Suzuki has a cat allergy, right?
- 明日の会議は君が司会をやるんだっけ。You're the one leading the meeting tomorrow, aren't you?
Caution
Be aware that in casual speech, younger Japanese speakers often attach っけ directly to verbs, omitting the んだ. While it is useful to recognize this pattern, this is an informal use and should be avoided in writing or formal situations.
- 田中さんってお酒飲めるっけ。Tanaka, can you drink alcohol, again?
- この駅ってエレベーターあるっけ。Does this station have an elevator, again?
While you should understand that this is still っけ, it is not a grammatically standard form and should be avoided in writing or any formal speech.
Fun Fact
け works just as naturally whether you are asking a question to yourself to recall a memory, or asking another person to confirm something they might also know.
- あれ、窓閉めたっけ。Wait, did I close the window? (Asking oneself)
- あそこのレストランって予約必要だったっけ。Did we need a reservation for that restaurant over there? (Asking another)
Examples
会議って３時からだったっけ？
Was it that the meeting was from 3 o'clock?
あの店、今日は休みだっけ？
Was it that that shop is closed today?
レポートの締め切りって明日だったっけ？
Was the deadline for the report tomorrow? (was it that...?)
玄関の鍵、ちゃんとかけたっけ？
Did I lock the front door properly? (was it that...?)
この映画、もう見たことあったっけ？
Have we seen this movie before? (was it that...?)
田中さんって甘いもの苦手なんだっけ？
Was it that Tanaka-san doesn't like sweets?
彼、海外に住んでたことあるんだっけ？
Did you say that he has lived abroad before?
去年の夏、一緒に花火見に行ったっけ？
Did we go to see fireworks together last summer? (was it that...?)
彼女は犬アレルギーだったっけ？
Was it that she was allergic to dogs?
大学では経済学を専攻してたんだっけ？
Did you say that you majored in economics at university?
ここに来るのって、どのバスに乗るんだっけ？
Which bus was it that we take to get here?
このケーキを作ってくれたのは、誰だったっけ？
Who was it that made this cake for us?