〜っけ
っけ
What was it again? / Was it ...? (trying to remember)
〜っけ is put at the end of a sentence when you are trying to remember something that you knew or heard before. You can say it to yourself, or you can ask the listener to check your memory. The た-form is often used even for present or future things, because you are recalling what you learned in the past. It is a spoken form; with でしたっけ / ましたっけ it can be used politely in conversation.
あの人の名前、何だっけ。
あのひとのなまえ、なんだっけ。
What was that person's name again?
Structure
Verb た-form + っけ (言ったっけ). い-adjective 〜かった + っけ (高かったっけ). な-adjective / noun + だ + っけ or + だった + っけ (好きだっけ, 休みだったっけ). Polite: 〜でしたっけ / 〜ましたっけ. For the non-past of verbs and い-adjectives, 〜んだっけ is usual (行くんだっけ).
Examples
8
会議は何時からでしたっけ。
かいぎはなんじからでしたっけ。
What time does the meeting start again?
かぎ、どこに置いたっけ。
かぎ、どこにおいたっけ。
Where did I put my keys?
この映画、前に一緒に見ましたっけ。
このえいが、まえにいっしょにみましたっけ。
Did we watch this movie together before?
田中さんはお酒が好きだったっけ。
たなかさんはおさけがすきだったっけ。
Did Tanaka-san like alcohol? I can't remember.
去年の夏も、こんなに暑かったっけ。
きょねんのなつも、こんなにあつかったっけ。
Was it this hot last summer, too?
あしたのテスト、何時に始まるんだっけ。
あしたのテスト、なんじにはじまるんだっけ。
What time does tomorrow's test start again?
あれ、今日は月曜日じゃなかったっけ。
あれ、きょうはげつようびじゃなかったっけ。
Huh? Wasn't today Monday?
Common mistakes
3
- Attaching っけ straight to a noun or a な-adjective. だ (or だった) is needed: ✕ あしたは休みっけ → ○ あしたは休みだっけ / 休みだったっけ.
- Making the polite form with です / ます + っけ. The standard polite forms use the past, でしたっけ / ましたっけ. 何時からですっけ is sometimes heard in casual talk, but it is not the standard form, so choose 何時からでしたっけ on the test.
- Using っけ for something you never knew. っけ means 'I knew it once, but I forgot'. When you meet someone for the first time, お名前は何でしたっけ sounds as if you heard the name before. For new information, ask お名前は何ですか.
How it's different from similar grammar
2
- かな / かしら (I wonder)
- 〜かな shows that you are wondering about something you do not know: あしたは晴れるかな (I wonder if it will be sunny tomorrow). 〜っけ shows that you knew the answer before and are trying to remember it: あしたの天気、晴れだっけ (Was tomorrow's weather supposed to be sunny?). With っけ, the speaker has already seen or heard the forecast.
- か (plain question)
- 〜か simply asks for information: 試験はいつですか (When is the exam?). 〜っけ asks the listener to help you remember something you were already told: 試験はいつでしたっけ (When was the exam again?). So っけ sounds natural when you ask the same thing a second time.
How this shows up on the JLPT
〜っけ is mostly a listening point at N3. When a speaker says 〜だっけ or 〜でしたっけ, he or she is not sure, and the other person's answer usually gives the correct information that the question asks for. In grammar-choice questions, check the form before っけ: だ after a noun or な-adjective, the た-form of a verb, and でした / ました in polite speech. It is not used in formal writing.
Quick check (3 questions)
Choose the form that fits the blank: 山田さんの誕生日って、いつ＿＿。
やまださんのたんじょうびって、いつ＿＿。
When do you add っけ to the end of a question?
You politely check your memory with a coworker: 'The meeting room was on the third floor, wasn't it?' Which sentence is correct?
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