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JLPT N3 · Sentence patterns

っけ (kke)

~っけ — was it ~? (recalling)

In short · A casual sentence-ending used when trying to recall something half-forgotten or checking a memory. It follows the plain form (だ with nouns and な-adjectives).
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Pattern

  • 普通形(名詞・Aな+だ)+っけ Plain form (+ だ) + っけ

Meaning

何時からだっけ and 何だっけ show you should know the answer but have forgotten and are trying to recall it. It can be a murmur or a question to someone. ~たっけ asks about a past memory.

When to use

Casual talk with friends and family. With superiors switch to a polite form like ~でしたか. ~だったっけ is for checking a past fact.

Examples

  • 明日(あした)の会議(かいぎ)は何時(なんじ)からだっけ。

    Ashita no kaigi wa nanji kara dakke.

    What time was tomorrow's meeting again?

  • あれ、この漢字(かんじ)の読(よ)み方(かた)は何(なん)だっけ。

    Are, kono kanji no yomikata wa nan dakke.

    Huh, what was the reading of this kanji again?

  • 君(きみ)の誕生日(たんじょうび)は来週(らいしゅう)だったっけ。

    Kimi no tanjōbi wa raishū datta kke.

    Your birthday was next week, right?

Common mistakes

  • It can refer to future plans, but only when you have forgotten or are unsure. It is not for things you are learning for the first time.
  • It is casual, so avoid it with superiors and in writing.

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