How to use ~かい (~kai): A Streetwise JLPT N4 Grammar Guide

kai

まだかね りないとうのかい?
You tellin’ me you still don’t have enough money?

Category: ,

So peep this. Using is like asking a regular question, all polite and proper. But when you roll up with かい, you’re changing the game. It’s informal, it’s mostly for dudes, and it’s used by someone with seniority – like a don talkin’ to his capos, or an OG to a new recruit. It implies you’re either checking on something you expect to be done, or you’re a little surprised, maybe even annoyed, at what’s goin’ down. It’s got a bit of an edge to it, for real. You ain’t usin’ this with your boss unless you’re lookin’ to get whacked, you feel me?


Think of かい like this: You’re Tony Montana, and you ask your boy Manny, “You forget the yayo?” You ain’t really asking if he forgot. You’re sayin’, “You better not have forgotten the yayo.” See the difference? かい turns a question into a one-way street. It’s not an invitation for a chat; it’s a demand for a ‘yes’ or a confirmation that the listener ain’t a screw-up. It’s a question that already expects an answer, and probably a specific one.


Grammar Conjugation Guide.
Task: Try to conjugate some different verbs to practice the rule.

Here’s the 4-1-1 on how to put this piece together.

Word TypeFormExampleTranslation
VerbPlain Form + かいもうくのかい?You leavin’ already?
い-AdjectivePlain Form + かいそんなにたかいかい?Is it really that expensive?
な-AdjectivePlain Form + かいこの仕事しごとひまかい?Is this job that chill?
NounNoun + かいこれがおまえまえかい?This is your cut?

Basically, you just slap かい on the end of a plain-form sentence. No sweat. For your verbs and い-adjectives, you just stick it right on the end. For nouns and な-adjectives, you keep it simple and just add かい after it. You don’t need that little punk . Keep it clean, keep it street. It’s a power move, showin’ ’em who’s in charge without even tryin’.


Example sentences with audio.
Task: Try to shadow at least 5 sentences perfectly.

Check out how the real Gs use it on the block.

またヘマをやったのかい?
You screwed up again, didn’t you?

この仕事しごととり大丈夫だいじょうぶかい?
You good to handle this job by yourself?

ボスの機嫌きげんわるいのかい?
Is the boss in a bad mood?

本当ほんとうにファミリーを裏切うらぎるつもりかい?
You really plannin’ on betraying the family?

警察けいさつなにはなしたのかい?
Did you say somethin’ to the cops?

おれのやりかたらないかい?
You got a problem with the way I do things?

まえ、まだきていたのかい?
Yo, you’re still alive?

やつ居場所いばしょっているのかい?
You know where that punk is hiding?

もうげられないとかっているかい?
You understand there’s no escape now, right?

これがおまえ最後さいご言葉ことばかい?
Are these your last words?


Definitions of the new vocabulary.
Task: Try to guess what each word actually means.

Here’s some new vocabulary you gotta know to run these streets.

ヘマをやる

Aight, so when you “hema wo yaru,” you ain’t just make a little mistake, you straight up fucked up the whole operation, you feel me?


機嫌は悪い

(きげんはわるい) When someone’s “kigen wa warui,” they ain’t just a little salty, they on a whole other level of pissed off, like ready to flip a table.


裏切る

(うらぎる) Listen up, “uragiru” is when your day-one homie turns into a straight-up snake and stabs you in the back for some clout or cash.


警察

(けいさつ) “Keisatsu” ain’t just the cops, they the five-o, the feds, the whole damn system that’s always lurkin’ and tryin’ to bust your hustle.


やり方

(やりかた) Your “yarikata” is your whole steez, your signature style, how you handle your business and keep it one hundred.


気に入らない

(きにいらない) When you “kiniranai” somethin’, you ain’t just not feelin’ it, you straight up can’t stand the sight of it, ya dig?


居場所

(いばしょ) Your “ibasho” ain’t just your crib, it’s your turf, your sanctuary, the one spot in this crazy world where you and your crew can be yourselves.


逃げられる

(にげられる) “Nigerareru” ain’t just about gettin’ away, it’s about ghostin’ the scene and leavin’ no trace, like you was never even there.


Stay strapped with grammar. Peace out, G.

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