The use of どうか

E

eric

後輩

25 Dec 2005

59

1

• 7 Jan 2007

• #1

JL107は何時に出発するか、わからないんです。

JL107は何時に出発するか、どうか、わからないんです。

if I'm right the first sentence, means, "I dont know what time JL107 is departing", but does adding どうか into the sentence have any significance?

thanks

 

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Moderator

Donor

Twenty-year veteran

8 Aug 2005

7,316

3,727

• 7 Jan 2007

• #2

かどうか is more like "whether or not." Your second sentence would need to remove 何時に, or specify a time, to mean "I don't know if JL107 is going to depart," or "I don't know if JL107 is going to depart at [this specific time]"

Also, かどうか is a single structure, not to be separated (or surrounded) by commas.

 

E

eric

後輩

25 Dec 2005

59

1

• 7 Jan 2007

• Thread starter
• #3

oh ok, I get it now, thanks