Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘And’, ‘or’, ‘such as’, or ‘things like’.
🎯 Primary Function
To list multiple examples in a non-exhaustive way, implying there might be other items not mentioned.
📋 Grammar Structure
[Verb Plain form] + とか
[I-adjective Plain form] + とか
[Na-adjective Plain form] + とか
[Verb/Adjective Negative Plain form] + とか
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Avoid in formal writing or business speeches; use ‘ya… nado’ instead.
Informal Situations
Very common in daily conversations with friends, family, and colleagues.
Written Language
Used in text messages, social media, or informal blogs.
Spoken Language
The primary medium for this grammar point. Frequently used to sound less definitive.
💡 Common Applications
Listing Nouns
Used to give examples of physical items or abstract concepts.
Example: パンとか、果物とかを買いました。 (I bought things like bread and fruit.)
Listing Actions (Verbs)
Used with the dictionary form of verbs to list representative actions.
Example: 歌うとか、踊るとか、楽しいことが好きです。 (I like fun things like singing and dancing.)
Quoting Rumors (Colloquial)
In casual speech, ‘toka’ can also indicate hearsay or uncertainty.
Example: 明日、休みだとか聞きました。 (I heard something like tomorrow is a holiday.)
Frequency
Very High
Difficulty
JLPT N4
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
テニスとか、水泳とか、スポーツは何でも好きです。
Furigana: テニスとか、すいえいとか、スポーツはなんでもすきです。
Romaji: Tenisu toka, suiei toka, supootsu wa nandemo suki desu.
English: I like all kinds of sports, such as tennis and swimming.
Example #2
休日には、映画を見るとか、本を読むとかしています。
Furigana: きゅうじつには、えいがをみるとか、ほんをよむとかしています。
Romaji: Kyuujitsu ni wa, eiga o miru toka, hon o yomu toka shiteimasu.
English: On my days off, I do things like watch movies or read books.
Example #3
京都とか奈良とか、古い町に行きたいです。
Furigana: きょうととかならとか、ふるいまちにいきたいです。
Romaji: Kyoto toka Nara toka, furui machi ni ikitai desu.
English: I want to go to old towns like Kyoto or Nara.
Example #4
肉とか魚とか、バランスよく食べましょう。
Furigana: にくとかさかなとか、バランスよくたべましょう。
Romaji: Niku toka sakana toka, baransu yoku tabemashou.
English: Let’s eat a balanced diet of things like meat and fish.
Example #5
週末は掃除するとか、洗濯するとか、やることがたくさんあります。
Furigana: しゅうまつはそうじするとか、せんたくするとか、やることがたくさんあります。
Romaji: Shuumatsu wa souji suru toka, sentaku suru toka, yaru koto ga takusan arimasu.
English: On weekends, there are many things to do, such as cleaning and doing laundry.
Example #6
カバンの中に、財布とか、鍵とか、携帯が入っています。
Furigana: カバンのなかに、さいふとか、かぎとか、けいたいがはいっています。
Romaji: Kaban no naka ni, saifu toka, kagi toka, keitai ga haitteimasu.
English: Inside the bag, there are things like a wallet, keys, and a phone.
Example #7
忙しいとか、疲れたとか、言い訳ばかりしないでください。
Furigana: いそがしいとか、つかれたとか、いいわけばかりしないでください。
Romaji: Isogashii toka, tsukareta toka, iiwake bakari shinaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t just keep making excuses like being busy or tired.
Example #8
ピアノを習うとか、新しいことを始めたいです。
Furigana: ピアノをならうとか、あたらしいことをはじめたいです。
Romaji: Piano o narau toka, atarashii koto o hajitmetai desu.
English: I want to start something new, like learning the piano.
Example #9
冷蔵庫に卵とか、牛乳とかがあります。
Furigana: れいぞうこにたまごとか、ぎゅうにゅうとかがあります。
Romaji: Reizouko ni tamago toka, gyuunyuu toka ga arimasu.
English: The fridge has things like eggs and milk.
Example #10
ラーメンとかカレーとか、辛いものが食べたいです。
Furigana: ラーメンとかカレーとか、からいものがたべたいです。
Romaji: Raamen toka karee toka, karai mono ga tabetai desu.
English: I want to eat something spicy, like ramen or curry.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Using ‘toka’ with only one item.
You can use ‘toka’ even with just one item to imply ‘and other similar things’.
Example: 京都とかに行きたいです。 (I want to go to Kyoto or somewhere like that.)
Listing reasons or states.
It can be used to list reasons or excuses in a slightly dismissive or vague tone.
Example: 休みだとか、忙しいとか… (Whether it’s a holiday, or they are busy…)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ‘toka’ in a formal business report.
✅ パンや果物などを買いました。
‘Toka’ is generally considered too casual for formal reports or academic writing.
❌ Overusing ‘toka’ for verbs in structured writing instead of ‘tari… tari’.
✅ 掃除したり、洗濯したりします。
While ‘toka’ is possible for verbs, ‘tari… tari’ is the standard way to list actions in N4. ‘Toka’ feels much more colloquial.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Casual to Neutral. It softens the tone by making the list seem non-exhaustive.
Social Situations: Ideal for suggesting plans or describing general preferences without being too specific.
Regional Variations: Common nationwide.
🔍 Subtle Differences
とか vs や (ya)
‘Ya’ is more formal and used only with nouns. ‘Toka’ is casual and works with nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
When to use: Use ‘Ya’ in writing/exams; use ‘Toka’ in conversation.
とか vs たり (tari)
‘Tari’ is specifically for listing actions/verbs. ‘Toka’ is more versatile but more colloquial.
When to use: Use ‘Tari’ for clear lists of actions; use ‘Toka’ for a more casual, ‘things like’ vibe.
📝 Conjugation Notes
‘Toka’ can be attached directly to nouns, plain form verbs, and plain form adjectives. Unlike ‘ya’, it is often repeated after every item in the list, including the last one (though the last ‘toka’ is optional).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘to’ and ‘ka’ are usually short and clipped. When listing, there is often a slight pause after each ‘toka’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘toka’ as ‘…and what-not’ or ‘…and stuff’. It’s the ‘fuzzy’ version of listing.
Other Grammar
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