At a glance
~かなあ means "I wonder..." and shows that the speaker is unsure about something. It is casual and often used when thinking aloud or talking with friends.
Verb (plain form) + かなあ
い-adjective + かなあ
な-adjective / Noun + かなあ (no だ)
明日は晴れるかなあ。 I wonder if it'll be sunny tomorrow.
How to form it
かなあ attaches to the plain form. With な-adjectives and nouns, drop だ in the present.
| Attaches to | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (present) | 行くかなあ | I wonder if (he) will go. |
| Verb (negative) | 行かないかなあ | I wonder if (he) won't go. |
| Verb (past) | 行ったかなあ | I wonder if (he) went. |
| い-adjective | 高いかなあ | I wonder if it's expensive. |
| な-adjective | 静かかなあ | I wonder if it's quiet. |
| Noun | 雨かなあ | I wonder if it'll be rain. |
| な-adj / Noun (past) | 静かだったかなあ | I wonder if it was quiet. |
Register: casual. It is often shortened to かな.