確か

Japanese

Etymology

Kanji in this term
確
たし Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
慥か (uncommon)

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.^[1]

Derived from the tashi- element seen in たしに (tashi ni, “sufficiently; firmly; surely”) and たしない (tashinai, “difficult, agonizing; poor, lacking”) + adjective-forming suffix か (-ka).^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) たしか [táꜜshìkà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]^[3]^[4]
IPA^(key): [ta̠ɕi̥ka̠]

Adjective

確(たし)か • (tashika) -na (adnominal 確(たし)かな (tashika na), adverbial 確(たし)かに (tashika ni))

[from 720] certain, clear, without a doubt
[from 759] secure, reliable, able to be trusted completely

Inflection

Inflection of 確か

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	確かだろ	たしかだろ	tashika daro
Continuative (連用形)	確かで	たしかで	tashika de
Terminal (終止形)	確かだ	たしかだ	tashika da
Attributive (連体形)	確かな	たしかな	tashika na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	確かなら	たしかなら	tashika nara
Imperative (命令形)	確かであれ	たしかであれ	tashika de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	確かではない確かじゃない	たしかではないたしかじゃない	tashika de wa nai tashika ja nai
Informal past	確かだった	たしかだった	tashika datta
Informal negative past	確かではなかった確かじゃなかった	たしかではなかったたしかじゃなかった	tashika de wa nakatta tashika ja nakatta
Formal	確かです	たしかです	tashika desu
Formal negative	確かではありません確かじゃありません	たしかではありませんたしかじゃありません	tashika de wa arimasen tashika ja arimasen
Formal past	確かでした	たしかでした	tashika deshita
Formal negative past	確かではありませんでした確かじゃありませんでした	たしかではありませんでしたたしかじゃありませんでした	tashika de wa arimasen deshita tashika ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	確かで	たしかで	tashika de
Conditional	確かなら（ば）	たしかなら（ば）	tashika nara (ba)
Provisional	確かだったら	たしかだったら	tashika dattara
Volitional	確かだろう	たしかだろう	tashika darō
Adverbial	確かに	たしかに	tashika ni
Degree	確かさ	たしかさ	tashikasa

Synonyms

(certain): 確実(かくじつ) (kakujitsu), 当(あ)てになる (ate ni naru)

Adverb

確(たし)か • (tashika)

if I remember correctly, in my memory, as I recall
確(たし)か、ここに来(き)たことがある。
Tashika, koko ni kita koto ga aru.
I'm pretty sure that I've come here before.

Usage notes

Adverbial use without the particle に (ni) is colloquial. The meaning for this usage implies a degree of doubt, and is different from the certainly, surely sense of 確かに (tashika ni) that has no such implication.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 “確か・慥か”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

“確か”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025
Kitahara, Yasuo, editor (2002), 明鏡国語辞典 [Meikyō Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN

[KDJ2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 “確か・慥か”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-3] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-4] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

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