~ではないか
〜de wa nai ka
Formation
Noun + ではないか / い-Adjective + ではないか / な-Adjective + ではないか / Verb-casual + ではないか
Used to show a strong assertion or emphasis on one’s opinion; 'isn't it?', 'aren't you?', 'right?'.
When to use
ではないか: isn't it (obviously)?, asserting an opinion.
Explanation
The ~ではないか grammar point is used at the end of a sentence to make a rhetorical question or a strong, emphatic statement. It often translates as 'isn't it…?' 'aren't you…?' or 'wouldn’t you say…?'.
Example sentences
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Isn’t he an excellent student?
Kare wa yūshū na gakusei de wa nai ka.
-
Isn’t this dish delicious?
Kono ryōri wa oishii de wa nai ka.
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Aren’t you her friend?
Anata wa kanojo no tomodachi de wa nai ka.
-
Tomorrow’s a day off, right?
Ashita wa yasumi de wa nai ka.
Rhetorical Assertion (Isn't It / What Else)
Corpus examples (60)
ザンビアはアフリカの国だからあなた方は気候がとても暑いのではないかと思うかも知れませんね。
It's an African country, so you may think the climate is very hot.
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Isn't that the most humane punishment for criminals?
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I am afraid of the situation getting worse.
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I am afraid things will take a turn for the worse.
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I am afraid he will make a mistake.
私は私以外に誰も彼の名前さえ覚えていないではないかと疑問に思う。
I doubt if anyone even remembers his name now, except for me.
-
Let's talk the night away tonight, shall we?
えりこは食事もとらずに長い間、一生懸命働いたので、倒れるのではないかと思った。
Eriko worked so long and so hard, without stopping to eat, that I feared she would faint.
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I fear that it will rain tomorrow.
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He said that he was afraid it would be rainy.
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I suspect that he is lying.
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I strongly suspected that he had been lying.
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We suspected him of lying.
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I suspected he was a liar.
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I was afraid I might fall asleep while driving.
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I'm afraid I cannot make myself understood in English.
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I think she's probably waiting at the station now.
保安官は容疑者を相手が死んでしまうのではないかと思われるまで何回も殴りつけた。
The sheriff beat the suspect until he was almost dead.
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But, if by that, morale drops wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the exercise?
もしかして鍋を火にかけっぱなしではないかと、家に戻るまで気が気じゃなかった。
I was unable to ease my worries that I might have left something in the pan until I finally arrived home.
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What will a child learn sooner than a song?
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Everybody suspected him of taking a bribe.
他の人が失敗したからといって、自分も成功しないのではないかと思う必要はない。
You don't have to think you aren't going to make it just because others have failed.
教えられた場所はここではないかと思って、もう一度手元のメモを確認した。
I checked my notes one more time to affirm that it was the place I had been told about.
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He was afraid that he might hurt her feelings.