N3 Casual, Colloquial, and Alternative Forms

〜っけ: meaning, usage and examples

〜っけ means: ...again? (colloquial, recalling information).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. これ、いくらだったっけ？

   How much was this, again?

2. 明日あしたのテスト、何時なんじからだっけ？

   What time was tomorrow's test, again?

3. 鈴木すずきさんの誕生日たんじょうびって、いつだっけ？

   When is Ms. Suzuki's birthday again?

4. すみません、お名前なまえは何なにでしたっけ？

   Sorry, what was your name again?

When to use it

Add っけ to the end of a sentence when you are trying to remember something you once knew, or checking it with someone: "What was it again?" People use it for names, times, places, and plans. 田中たなかさんの誕生日たんじょうび、いつだっけ? means you knew the date once but forgot it. It can also be a question to yourself.

Nuance

Casual and conversational. In polite speech use でしたっけ or ましたっけ: 何時なんじでしたっけ. っけ often follows the past tense even for future plans (会議かいぎは何時なんじだったっけ), because the speaker is recalling when they heard it. With a past verb it can also sound nostalgic: よく遊あそんだっけ.

Compare

っけ vs か: か is a plain question asking for new information (会議かいぎは何時なんじですか). っけ admits you knew it once (会議かいぎは何時なんじでしたっけ = what time was the meeting again?). っけ vs よね: よね checks something you are fairly sure of (三時さんじだよね = it is at three, right?); っけ means you have forgotten.

Tip: Use でしたっけ with coworkers to ask about something you should already know. It sounds humble, because it admits that you forgot.