✨ Basic Meaning
🎯 Primary Function
📋 Grammar Structure
🎭 Usage Contexts
Never used. It is strictly casual. Using it formally would be highly inappropriate and rude.
Very common among close friends, peers, and in casual family settings.
Appears in casual writing, such as text messages, casual emails, and dialogue in manga or scripts.
Primarily a feature of spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
📌 Important Points
⚠️ Common Mistakes
🏛️ Cultural Context
🔍 Subtle Differences
📝 Conjugation Notes
The key rule is that 〜かい must always follow the plain form (short form) of the verb, adjective, or noun/na-adjective phrase. For Na-adjectives and nouns, the copula だ is often omitted or replaced with な before かい, making the structure smoother (e.g., 暇かい instead of 暇だかい). The particle の often precedes かい (のかい) to soften the tone or emphasize the question.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The pitch usually rises slightly on 「か」 and then drops slightly on 「い」, but because it is a casual particle, the intonation can vary widely based on the emotion (e.g., sharp rise for surprise, gentle rise for suggestion).
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 〜かい as an abbreviation for “か, いい?” (ka, ii? – Is it alright/is it so?), emphasizing the informal and seeking-confirmation nature of the question. Relate it to the plain form of the verb/adj to remember its structure.
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