GrammarJLPT N5
→ and the like
And the like / Such as / Or something / I hear that
JLPT N5ParticleCasual spoken
とか is a versatile particle used primarily in casual spoken Japanese. Its most common function is to list examples non-exhaustively, similar to や or など, meaning "things like" or "such as." It can appear once after a single item to suggest there are other similar things ("X or something like that"), or it can be repeated (とか〜とか) to list multiple examples. Compared to や, とか feels more colloquial and conversational, and unlike や, it can follow verbs and adjectives, not just nouns. A secondary and more colloquial function of とか is to report hearsay, meaning "I heard that..." or "they say that...," functioning similarly to って or the more formal そうだ (hearsay). This hearsay usage attaches to the end of a plain-form clause. Because とか inherently implies vagueness and non-commitment, it is considered casual and should generally be avoided in formal writing or polite business contexts, where など or や would be more appropriate.
Functions
#1 Non-exhaustive listing of nouns
Structure
Noun + とか + Noun + とか
休みの日は、映画とか買い物とかします。
Here とか is used twice to list examples of activities done on days off. By using とか after each item, the speaker indicates that movies and shopping are just some examples and that there may be other activities as well. This is the most common usage of とか and functions much like や, but with a more casual, conversational tone.On my days off, I do things like watch movies, go shopping, and the like.
Structures
- Listing examples (nouns)
- Noun + とか + (Noun + とか) + ...
- Listing examples (verbs/adjectives)
- Verb (plain form) + とか + (Verb (plain form) + とか) + する
- Hearsay (colloquial)
- Clause (plain form) + とか
Common mistakes
A common mistake is using とか in formal writing or polite speeches where や or など would be more appropriate, since とか is inherently casual. Another frequent error is confusing the listing function of とか with たり〜たりする; while both list example actions, たり〜たりする is grammatically more standard and acceptable across registers, whereas とか is more colloquial. Some learners also forget that when listing verbs with とか, the verbs should be in plain form, not て-form or ます-form. Finally, the hearsay usage of とか at the end of a sentence can be confused with the listing usage; context and sentence position are key to distinguishing them—if とか appears at the very end of a sentence with no following noun or verb, it is likely hearsay.
Related
やなどたり〜たりするとか〜とかってだの〜だの