“hatashite”: I Wonder if…? / Sure Enough (two uses) [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

The contrast between hatashite's two uses

「果たして、この計画は成功するのだろうか」 — the ‘will it really' that sets up suspense

An essay often opens like this: 「果たして、この計画は成功するのだろうか」 (will this plan really succeed?) — 「果たして（はたして）」 is a dramatically-charged adverb with two uses: ① intensifying a question “really, in the end” (with a question, carrying suspense); ② confirming a prediction “sure enough, as expected.” Both revolve around “the result.” This guide covers both uses, that questions need 「だろうか／のか,」 and warns it's not the everyday “on earth.”

Core: intense focus on ‘the result' — suspense or confirmation

Both uses of 「果たして」 revolve around “the result”:

• ① really, in the end (intensifying a question): intense suspense about the result (how will it turn out?), with a question: 果たして真実は明らかになるのか (will the truth really come to light?).
• ② sure enough, as expected (confirmation): things happen as predicted, with confirmation: 心配していたが、果たして彼は来なかった (I'd worried, and sure enough he didn't come).

Feel: “really ～? (suspense)／sure enough ～ (confirmation)” — ① is prior suspense (with tension, expectation, and often implied doubt); ② is after-the-fact confirmation (just as I predicted). It's a dramatically-charged written adverb, common in argument and reporting.

Attachment rules

Examples in use

• 果たして、この新薬に効果はあるのだろうか。(Does this new drug really have an effect?) — really
• 果たして人類は火星に住めるのか。(Can humankind really live on Mars?) — really
• 悪い予感がした。果たして、その通りになった。(I had a bad feeling, and sure enough, it turned out that way.) — confirmation
• 彼なら断ると思った。果たして、断られた。(I thought he'd refuse, and sure enough, I was refused.) — confirmation
• 果たして、彼の言葉は本当だったのか。(Were his words really true?) — really

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① Two uses: really (question) vs sure enough (confirmation), told by the sentence. 「果たして」 has two opposite-direction uses. ① really, in the end (intensifying a question): appears in a question, intensifying the suspense “how will it turn out?”: 果たして、勝てるのだろうか (can we really win? — prior suspense). ② sure enough, as expected (confirmation): appears in a statement, meaning “things happened just as predicted”: 果たして、失敗した (sure enough, it failed — after-the-fact confirmation). Test: the sentence is a question (〜だろうか/のか) → really; the sentence is a statement (a predicted result) → sure enough. Same 「果たして,」 one asking the result, one confirming it.

② The question use needs ‘だろうか／のか'; don't drop the question ending. When 「果たして」 means really (intensifying a question), the end often needs a question form 「〜だろうか／〜のか／〜のだろうか」 to be complete: ○ 果たして成功するのだろうか (will it really succeed?) / △ 果たして成功する (missing the question ending, incomplete, unnatural). Because 「果たして」's question use sets up a “really ～?” suspense, it needs a question ending to echo it. When writing, pair head and tail: 果たして〜だろうか／のか.

③ 「果たして」 is dramatically charged, not the everyday ‘on earth.' Chinese/English “on earth, really” appears often in everyday conversation (“are you going or not?” “what on earth is going on?”), but Japanese 「果たして」 has a dramatic, written, formal color, mostly for essays, reporting, narration, formal statements to set up suspense — not the offhand everyday “on earth.” For everyday “on earth ～?,” the colloquial 「いったい」 is more common: colloquial 「いったいどうしたの? (what on earth's wrong?)」「いったい何が起きたの? (what on earth happened?)」. Using 「果たして」 in casual conversation sounds too dramatic, too bookish. Test: everyday spoken “on earth” → いったい; written, argumentative suspense “really” → 果たして. Also, 「果たして」's question often implies the speaker's doubt or pessimism (not a neutral question) — 「果たして本当に成功するのだろうか」 often implies “(I actually rather doubt) can it really succeed,” a rhetorical self-question tinged with doubt.

🔄 Compare: 果たして／いったい／やはり／まさか

💡 How to remember this

「果たして（はたして）」 is a dramatically-charged written adverb — three points: ① two uses — really (intensifying a question, with だろうか/のか, setting up suspense) / sure enough (confirmation, things happening as predicted); ② the question use needs a question ending (果たして〜だろうか), don't drop it; ③ it's not the everyday ‘on earth' — it's written, dramatic; for everyday “on earth ～?,” the colloquial 〈いったい〉 is more natural, and 「果たして」's question often implies the speaker's doubt/pessimism (a rhetorical self-question, not neutral). Comparing relatives: everyday “on earth” use いったい, colloquial “sure enough” use やっぱり. This adverb suits opening an essay or report with a “will ～ really?” suspense (果たして人類に未来はあるのか), instantly bringing dramatic tension and a reflective air.

❓ FAQ

Q: 「果たして」 and 「いったい」 both express ‘on earth, in the end' — what's the difference?

The difference is register and drama (written vs colloquial). 「果たして」 = really (written, dramatically charged, often implying doubt): used in essays, reporting, formal narration, setting up a “will ～ really?” suspense, formal and dramatic in tone, and its question often implies the speaker's doubt or pessimism (not neutral): 果たして、この計画は成功するのだろうか (will this plan really succeed? — a rhetorical self-question with implied doubt). It's the written “really.” 「いったい」 = on earth, in the end (everyday spoken intensified question): used in everyday conversation to intensify a question, expressing surprise, puzzlement, a wish to press further — the commonest, most colloquial “on earth”: いったいどうしたの? (what on earth's wrong?), いったい何が起きたの? (what on earth happened?), いったいいつになったら終わるの? (when on earth will it end?). It's the colloquial “on earth,” with an urgent, pressing emotion. Test: everyday conversation asking “on earth/in the end” → いったい; written, essay suspense “really” → 果たして. E.g. quarreling, 「いったい何が言いたいの? (what on earth do you mean?)」 uses いったい (colloquial pressing); an essay 「果たしてAIは人間を超えるのか (will AI really surpass humans?)」 uses 果たして (written suspense). Using 「果たして」 in casual conversation sounds too dramatic, like narrating. So: to colloquially press “on earth” use いったい, to set up written suspense “really” use 果たして.

Q: 「果たして」's confirmation use ‘sure enough' — is it the same as 「やっぱり」?

Close in meaning (both “sure enough, as expected”), but different in register and frequency. 「果たして (confirmation)」 = sure enough, as expected: it means “things happened just as predicted beforehand,” with a written, formal, dramatic color, mostly for written narration, novels, reporting: 悪い予感がした。果たして、その通りになった (I had a bad feeling, and sure enough it turned out that way), 彼は失敗すると思った。果たして、うまくいかなかった (I thought he'd fail, and sure enough it didn't go well). It's the written “sure enough,” with an “as predicted” dramatic confirmation. 「やっぱり／やはり」 = sure enough, after all: the most general, usable in speech or writing “sure enough,” the first choice for everyday conversation: やっぱり、そうだったんだ (so it was, sure enough), やっぱり彼が犯人だった (sure enough, he was the culprit), やっぱり行くのやめる (I'll not go after all — this is the “after all” use). It's far more general than 「果たして,」 and everyday speech almost always uses 「やっぱり.」 Test: written, dramatic-confirmation “sure enough” → 果たして; everyday, general “sure enough” → やっぱり／やはり. E.g. everyday 「やっぱりおいしい (delicious, as expected)」 uses やっぱり; a novel's narration 「果たして、予言は的中した (sure enough, the prophecy came true)」 uses 果たして (written drama). Note too that 「やっぱり」 also has an “after all (a decision after consideration)” use (やっぱりやめる = I'll stop after all), which 「果たして」 lacks. So for the confirming “sure enough,” everyday use やっぱり, written drama use 果たして.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「___、この計画は成功するのだろうか。」(really, emphasizing a question)

(A) 果たして　(B) せっかく　(C) わざわざ　(D) どうせ

Q2. What are the two uses of 「果たして」?

(A) really/indeed (question) / sure enough (as expected)

(B) command / prohibition

(C) condition / adversative

(D) parallel / choice

Q3. What does 「果たして彼は来なかった」 mean?

(A) Sure enough, he didn't come (as expected)

(B) Did he really come or not

(C) He will definitely come

(D) I hope he comes

Q4. What tends to accompany the question usage?

(A) 〜だろうか／〜のか

(B) ください

(C) なさい

(D) ましょう

Q5. Which usage is natural?

(A) 果たして真実は明らかになるのか。　(B) 果たしてありがとう(感謝)。

(C) 果たしてを食べる。　(D) 果たしてだ高い。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) 果たして ── Will it really succeed? (emphasizing a question).

2. (A) ── really/indeed / sure enough.

3. (A) ── Sure enough, he didn't come (as expected).

4. (A) ── Questions pair with だろうか/のか.

5. (A) ── 「果たして〜のか」 is correct.