かなあ

かなあ
particle
I wonder; I hope (drawn-out, musing)
informalcolloquialgrammatical
1. I wonder; I hope so
A sentence-ending particle expressing wondering or mild hope, said half to oneself. The lengthened vowel makes it softer and more musing than かな, and it often invites no answer.
明日(あした)は晴(は)れるかなあ。
I wonder if it'll be sunny tomorrow.
そろそろ帰(かえ)ろうかなあ。
Maybe I should head home soon.
こんなに雨(あめ)が降(ふ)って、試合(しあい)はちゃんとできるのかなあ。
With rain like this, I wonder whether the match can really go ahead.

Usage

Attaches to the plain form: 行(い)くかなあ, 高(たか)いかなあ, 静(しず)かかなあ. With a volitional it expresses hesitation about one's own action (やめようかなあ), and with ないかなあ it expresses a wish (誰(だれ)か来(こ)ないかなあ — I wish someone would come). Casual: not used in polite speech or writing.

Similar words

  • かな: I wonder — the plain form; shorter, brisker, less dreamy
  • かしら: I wonder — same function, traditionally feminine and now somewhat dated
  • でしょうか: I wonder — the polite equivalent, used to a listener rather than to oneself

Related Words

Compare: かしら (I wonder)
Compare: でしょうか (I wonder)
general
Added 2026.8.15 0:52 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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