Skip to content
R&D

とか〜とか — vague listing (Cure Dolly)

Core

Section titled “Core”

とか = と (quote) + か (or/uncertain) — each item is offered as “something like this”. Lists are open and vague: “A, B, and stuff / or something”.

寿司とか、ラーメンとかが好きです = I like sushi, ramen — that kind of thing.

Two layers

Section titled “Two layers”
  1. noun list: AとかBとか(する) = “do things like A and B” — the とか set reduces the items to examples of a category.
  2. sentence list / hearsay: full sentence + とか = “I heard that…, or something” — the か’s uncertainty survives: 彼は今日休むとか = I hear he’s off today (not sure).

Third, casual ending: 行くとか？ = “you’re going, or something?” — soft, noncommittal question (mainly young speech).

vs the other listers

Section titled “vs the other listers”
form feel
と closed, complete list (A and B, nothing else)
や open list, neutral register (A, B, etc.)
とか open list, vague/casual — “that kind of thing”
し reasons list — “among other reasons”
たり action sampling — “do things like A and B (among other activities)”
  • と vs や vs とか = closed → open → vague-and-casual
  • とか vs たり: とか lists things, たり lists actions done

Grammar

Section titled “Grammar”

Attaches to nouns AND plain sentences (that’s the quote side): 行くとか行かないとか、はっきりして = “going or not going — make up your mind”. Final とか often drops the second: 寿司とか好き？ = into sushi and stuff?

Dolly gloss

Section titled “Dolly gloss”

とか = と’s quote-label handed over with a shrug (か): “this, or something like it”. Every item is presented as an approximation, never a commitment — the politeness of not pinning things down.

Section titled “Related”