の
Meaning
Sentence-final の with rising intonation makes a casual, soft question ("…?"), often asking for an explanation or confirmation.
Conjugation
(A)Vplain + の (A)Adjい + の (A)Adjな(stem) + なの (A)N + なの
Examples
Show translation
そのチェスの雑誌は役に立つの？
あの本は本当に有名なの？
目が悪いの？いつも眼鏡をかけているの？
明日は何時に起きるの？
昨日、どこへ行ったの？
このケーキ、あまり甘くないね。本当にチョコレートケーキなの？
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.title
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 元気ですの？
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 元気なの？ / 元気ですか。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: Although ですの？ exists in old-fashioned or highly stylized feminine speech, it is not natural in ordinary conversation. Use 元気なの？ for a casual question or 元気ですか。 for a standard polite question.
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: これはペンだの？
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: これはペンなの？
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: With a noun or na-adjective, the plain copula before の becomes なの, not だの.
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 先生、明日どこへ行くの？
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 先生、明日どこへ行かれるんですか。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: Casual question の sounds too familiar when speaking to a teacher or superior; use polite んですか instead.
Key points
Use it with friends, family and children in casual speech; the の is simply added to the plain form, and です/ます are not used before it. It sounds softer and more curious than か, and often invites an explanation, like the casual form of ～んですか. Avoid it with superiors or in formal writing, where か or んですか is used instead.
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