-는가/-(으)ㄴ가

A plain question ending with two uses: in writing (essays, titles, speeches) it poses a thoughtful or rhetorical question, 'What is …?'; in speech it is the old-fashioned 하게체 level that older speakers use to adult juniors.

문장 끝·말투Endings & speech style

Han: 옳다 is an adjective, so it takes (으)ㄴ가, not 는가.

Examples

과연 경제 성장만이 사회 발전의 유일한 기준인가.Is economic growth really the only measure of social progress?

자네, 요즘 하는 일은 잘되는가?Tell me, is your work going well these days? (an older man to a junior)

우리는 무엇을 위해 일하는가? 이 질문에 대한 답은 사람마다 다를 것이다.What do we work for? The answer to this question will differ from person to person.

Don’t mix up

-는가/-(으)ㄴ가vs-(으)ㄴ가요?/-나요?With 요 it is a soft, polite question to a listener: 언제 가나요?; bare -는가 is either writing or 하게체: 언제 가는가?

-는가/-(으)ㄴ가vs-(으)ㄴ가 보다/싶다Followed by 보다/싶다, -ㄴ가 makes a guess, not a question: 바쁜가 봐요 (seems busy) vs 그는 바쁜가? (Is he busy?)

How to build it

V+는가

A+(으)ㄴ가

N+인가

있다·없다 → 있는가·없는가

past: V/A+았/었는가

가다 → 가는가; 살다 → 사는가; 좋다 → 좋은가; 크다 → 큰가; 멀다 → 먼가; 문제 → 문제인가; 먹다 → 먹었는가

Verbs and 있다/없다 take 는가, adjectives (으)ㄴ가, nouns 인가; in the past both take 았/었는가 (좋았는가). ㄹ drops: 살다 → 사는가, 멀다 → 먼가.
In writing it raises a question for the reader, often answered by the writer, or a rhetorical one: 행복이란 무엇인가? / 과연 그것이 옳은 선택이었는가.
In speech it is 하게체: older speakers (often men) to adult juniors such as a son-in-law or a former student, together with 자네 and -네/-게: 자네 요즘 어떻게 지내는가? Young people rarely use it.
Not for seniors, and not for casual questions to friends: use -(으)세요?/-아/어요? or -아/어?/-니?

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~과연 그 방법이 옳는가?~~

Right: 과연 그 방법이 옳은가?

옳다 is an adjective, so it takes (으)ㄴ가, not 는가.

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