～っけ — What was it again? — checking something half-forgotten | JLPT N3 grammar

Meaning

A conversational sentence-ending particle: the speaker once knew something but has forgotten and asks again — "what was it again?", "…, wasn't it?". In a monologue, Vたっけ has a nostalgic "we used to…" feel.

Formation

N／Aな＋だっけ／だったっけ: 休みだ → 休みだっけ, にぎやかだった → にぎやかだったっけ
V／Aい in the た form＋っけ: 置いた → 置いたっけ, 寒かった → 寒かったっけ
V / い-adjective + んだっけ: 始まるんだっけ, 高いんだっけ; colloquial plain form + っけ also occurs: 始まるっけ, 結婚しているっけ
Negative: じゃなかったっけ: ごみの日じゃなかった → ごみの日じゃなかったっけ
Polite — でしたっけ／ましたっけ: 何でしたっけ, 言いましたっけ

When to use it

Where to use it: In conversation, when asking again about something you have heard or known before: 会議って、何時からだっけ？ "What time does the meeting start again?"
Where not to use it: Not for a first question about wholly unknown information (はじめまして、お名前は何だっけ is inappropriate), or for formal letters. Direct attachment to a nonpast form occurs in conversation: 明日は行くっけ？; 行くんだっけ？ is a fuller alternative.

Examples

20 sentences

会議かいぎって、何時なんじからだっけ？
What time does the meeting start again?
あれ、鍵かぎをどこに置いたおいたっけ。
Huh, where did I put my keys?
すみません、お名前おなまえは何なんでしたっけ？
Sorry, what was your name again?
去年きょねんの冬ふゆって、こんなに寒かったさむかったっけ？
Was it this cold last winter?
この辺りあたり、昔むかしからこんなににぎやかだったっけ？
Has this area always been this lively?
明日あしたの試験しけんって、何時なんじに始まるはじまるんだっけ？
What time does tomorrow's exam start again?
この話はなし、前まえにもしましたっけ？
Have I told you this before?
子どもこどものころは、よくこの川かわで泳いだおよいだっけ。
When I was a kid, I used to swim in this river all the time.

12 more examples

今日きょうって、燃えるもえるごみの日ひじゃなかったっけ？
Isn't today burnable trash day?
あのころは毎日まいにち、遅くおそくまで友達ともだちと話したはなしたっけなあ。
Back then, we'd talk with friends late into the night every day.
この店みせ、前まえはラーメン屋らーめんやだったっけ？
Wasn't this place a ramen shop before?
佐藤さとうさんって、魚さかなが嫌いきらいだっけ？
Sato doesn't like fish, right?
寝るねる前まえの薬くすり、もう飲んだのんだっけ？
Did I already take my bedtime medicine?
前まえに行ったいったあの店みせ、おいしかったっけ？
That restaurant we went to before — was the food good?
このバス、市役所しやくしょの前まえで止まるとまるんだっけ？
This bus stops in front of city hall, doesn't it?
山田やまださんって、車くるまを持ってるもってるっけ？
Yamada has a car, doesn't he?
締め切りしめきりって、明日あしたじゃなかったっけ？
Wasn't the deadline tomorrow?
先生せんせい、次つぎの授業じゅぎょうは何なんページからでしたっけ？
Sensei, which page does the next class start from again?
あの件けん、部長ぶちょうにもうお伝えおつたえしましたっけ？
Did I already tell the manager about that matter?
学生がくせい時代じだいは、毎週まいしゅうあの喫茶店きっさてんに通ったかよったっけなあ。
Back in my student days, I used to go to that café every week.

Important notes

It can be a question to yourself: 鍵、どこに置いたっけ… — "where did I put my keys…".
With people you don't know well or seniors, use polite でしたっけ／ましたっけ; in formal speech 〜でしょうか is better.

Common mistakes

✗ 明日は休むだっけ？ → ✓ 明日は休むんだっけ？ — だ cannot directly follow a verb; use ん to connect them. Colloquial 休むっけ is also possible.
✗ 去年の夏は暑いっけ？ → ✓ 去年の夏は暑かったっけ？ — the sentence recalls last summer, so use a past form. This is not a general ban on nonpast forms with っけ.
✗ (to a passer-by) すみません、駅はどこだっけ？ → ✓ すみません、駅はどこですか — っけ implies you already knew this, and it sounds overly familiar.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

Sentence 1: 今日きょうって、燃えるもえるごみの日ひじゃなかったっけ？ I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.Isn't today burnable trash day?Is today's lunch curry?
Sentence 2: このバス、市役所しやくしょの前まえで止まるとまるんだっけ？ This bus stops in front of city hall, doesn't it?I wonder if this cake is good.Is this building an art museum?
Sentence 3: 学生がくせい時代じだいは、毎週まいしゅうあの喫茶店きっさてんに通ったかよったっけなあ。 Back in my student days, I used to go to that café every week.I wonder if that person is the new teacher.Is that person a cook?