じゃないか... isn't it rhetorical?

raikado · 6 Apr 2014

I was reading this:

The problem is the sentence in the lower left corner: テンポを守れる奴じゃないか...

I thought that じゃないか marks a rhetorical question, so I would expect the sentence to translate as: 'She is someone who can keep the tempo, isn't she?'. But the images hint that it is the opposite meaning; that she can't keep the tempo.

I was thinking...could the intonation (marked by the suspension points) alter the meaning?

For example, would there be any difference between いいじゃないか and いいじゃないか．．．?

Andromedashun · 6 Apr 2014

I think it is the different between じゃない and じゃないか

じゃない = と思う / のではないだろう

But with か, it has a negative meaning.

じゃないか = と思わない / のではないだろうか

Toritoribe · 6 Apr 2014

raikado said:
I was reading this: View image. The problem is the sentence in the lower left corner: テンポを守れる奴じゃないか...

I thought that じゃないか marks a rhetorical question, so I would expect the sentence to translate as: 'She is someone who can keep the tempo, isn't she?'. But the images hint that it is the opposite meaning; that she can't keep the tempo.

I was thinking...could the intonation (marked by the suspension points) alter the meaning?

For example, would there be any difference between いいじゃないか and いいじゃないか．．．?

You are correct. The intonation is the key. じゃないか is the same as じゃない with resignation in that case. It also can be used for asking for approval(She can keep the tempo, can't she?) or strong assertion (She can no doubt keep the tempo!). The intonations of these three expressions are all different.

じゃないか... isn't it rhetorical?

raikado

先輩

Andromedashun

先輩

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

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