だれが来るかわかりません。
- I don’t know who will come.
This Japanese sentence "だれが来るかわかりません。" means "I don’t know who will come." in English. It is an N3 Low-level example sentence.
AI Explanation
だれが来るかわかりません。 meaning: I don't know who will come.
The sentence structure is a main clause with an embedded question. This is a common pattern in Japanese. ⚫︎ The main clause is わかりません (I don't know). ⚫︎ The embedded question is だれが来るか (who will come). The question is embedded within the main clause and functions as a noun. ⚫︎ The question word is だれ (who). ⚫︎ The particle が marks the subject of the embedded question. ⚫︎ The verb 来る (to come) is in its dictionary form. In this case, it is being used to mean "will come". ⚫︎ The particle か is attached to the end of the verb to form a question. ⚫︎ This whole embedded question acts as the object of わかりません.
⚫︎ The particle が (ga) marks the subject of a sentence. In this sentence, it marks the subject of the embedded question だれ (who). ⚫︎ The particle か (ka) is used to indicate a question. It turns the preceding phrase into a question. In this case, か turns 来る (to come) into "will come?"
⚫︎ The verb 来る (to come) is in its dictionary form in the embedded question. ⚫︎ The dictionary form is used in the embedded question when it's part of a phrase expressing uncertainty, possibility, or asking for information. ⚫︎ The plain form of verbs is commonly used in casual contexts or within subordinate clauses, such as the embedded question.
⚫︎ The auxiliary verb ません (-masen) is a negative polite form of the verb ます (masu). It makes the verb in the sentence negative and polite. ⚫︎ わかりません (wakarimasen) is the polite negative form of わかります (wakarimasu), which means "I understand/know". Therefore, わかりません means "I don't know". ⚫︎ This polite form is appropriate for most situations and is a staple of polite Japanese speech.
⚫︎ This pattern is a very common way to express that you don't know something. "X" is usually replaced by a question word followed by a particle and a verb, or a statement. ⚫︎ Examples: ⚫︎ どこへ行くかわかりません。 (Dokoe iku ka wakarimasen.) - I don't know where I'm going. ⚫︎ 何を買うかわかりません。 (Nani o kau ka wakarimasen.) - I don't know what to buy. ⚫︎ 明日雨が降るかわかりません。 (Ashita ame ga furu ka wakarimasen.) - I don't know if it will rain tomorrow.