か (1)

Particle (Basic ㊦ 164)

A particle which marks an alternative.

Equivalent: (either) ~ or ~

私は電車かバス（か）で行く・行きます。: I will go either by train or by bus.
トムが行くかメアリーが行くかどちらかだ・です。: Either Tom will go or Mary will go.
私は毎朝ジュースかミルクを飲む。: I drink either juice or milk every morning.
それはボブかマークかします。: As for that, either Bob or Mark will do it.
肉が高かったか一郎が嫌いだったかどちらかだ。: Either meat was expensive or Ichiro didn't like meat.
手紙を書くか電話をかけるかどちらかして下さい。: Either write a letter or make a call, please.
食べるか話すかどちらかにしなさい。: Decide on either eating or talking.

Formation

(i) {V/Adjective い} informal	か
	{話す /話した} か	Either someone talks/talked or
	{高い /高かった} か	Either something is/was expensive or
(ii) {Adjective な stem/ N}	{Ø/だった} か
	{静か /静かだった} か	Either something is/was quiet or
	{先生 /先生だった} か	Either someone is/was a teacher or
(iii) N1 か N2	先生か学生	Either a teacher or a student

Notes

1. The basic function of か is to mark an alternative. It can mark either nouns or sentences. When it marks nouns, the final か is usually omitted. When it marks sentences, the sentences are subordinate clauses; that is, they must be in the informal form. The topic marker は must not be used.

2. か cannot be used to connect two questions. Thus, the following sentences are ungrammatical.

a. *これはあなたのですか。か私のですか。
Is this yours or mine?

b. *私と一緒に来ますか。かここにいますか。
Will you come with me? Or will you stay here?

In this case, それとも is used instead of か.

(⇨ それとも)

【Related Expression】

それとも is also used with alternatives. However, the function of それとも is to connect two alternatives, not to mark an alternative. Thus, それとも< appears with か, not in place of か. Examples:

[1]

肉が高かったか，それとも一郎が肉がきらいだったかどちらかだ。
Either meat was expensive or Ichiro didn't like meat.

[2]

私と一緒に来ますか。それともここにいますか。
Will you come with me? Or will you stay here?

それとも is optional in [1], but not in [2].