BackGrammar JLPT Level N4 - Lesson 7
Structure of とか:
Verb (A) + とか + Verb (B) + （とか）
Noun (A) + とか + Noun (B) + （とか）
Details about とか:
とか is a word that belongs to a unique family of particles in Japanese called listing particles. As the name suggests, these particles are used for listing groups of items that share similarities. とか can be used after verbs, or nouns, to express 'among other things, (A)'.
- 健康のために野菜を食べるとか水を飲むとかをしています。For my health, I do things like eat vegetables and drink water.
- 亀とかすっぽんとかは美味しいんですか。Are things like turtles and snapping turtles delicious?
- かぼちゃとかサツマイモとか白菜とかシイタケが入っている鍋が好き。I like hot pots that include things like pumpkin, sweet potatoe, cabbage, and shiitake.
とか
Usage Notes for とか:
とか is used to list items in a non-exhaustive way. What this means is that the listener will assume that there are other items in the list, apart from what is stated directly. The speaker is just providing a few examples of a (potentially much larger) category.
Synonyms for とか:
やら～やら
Whether or, Things like, And … so on
たり～たりする
Things like ~ and ~
や
Things like, And the like
など
Such as, Things like, Etc., And so on
といった
Such as, Like, So much as
たとえば
For example
し～し
And, Giving reasons
なんか・なんて
Such as, Things like, Emphasis
～なり～なり
Or, Either or
Example of とか
青とか水色が好き。
I like colors such as blue and light blue.
明日とか今週末とか、暇なら、映画を見に行こう。
If you are free tomorrow or, for example this weekend, let's go watch a movie.
トム・クルーズとかブラッド・ピットとかがかっこいいと思う。
I think people like Tom Cruise for example, or Brad Pitt are cool.
私は色々なフルーツが好きだけど、苺とか、リンゴとかは嫌いです。
I like a variety of fruits, but I don't like (fruits) such as strawberries and apples.
日本とか、韓国とかに行ってみたいですね。
I want to go to places such as Japan and Korea.
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