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wasuremono ga nai ka doa wo simeru mae ni kakuninsimasu.

忘わすれ物もの　が　ない　か　ドア　を　閉しめる　前まえ　に　確認かくにんします。wasuremono ga nai ka doa wo simeru mae ni kakuninsimasu.
I check for forgotten items before closing the door.
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Questions & Answers about wasuremono ga nai ka doa wo simeru mae ni kakuninsimasu.

What is the function of the particle が in 忘れ物がないか?
In Japanese existential or possession constructions, が marks the subject or the thing whose existence you’re talking about. Here, 忘れ物がないか literally means “whether or not there are any forgotten items.” So が attaches to 忘れ物 (“forgotten items”) to say “(there) are forgotten items.”
How does the ないか construction work in this sentence?
  • ない is the plain negative form of ある (“to exist”).
  • か turns the clause into an indirect question (“whether …”).
    Putting them together, 忘れ物がないか means “whether there isn’t anything forgotten” or “if I haven’t forgotten anything.” It’s not a direct question to someone, but the speaker’s internal check.
How does ドアを閉める前に work, and why is the verb in dictionary form?
  • 前に means “before.”
  • When you attach it to a verb, you must use the dictionary (plain present) form: 閉める前に = “before closing.”
    So ドアを閉める前に means “before closing the door.” This sets the time frame for the action that follows.
Why is the subordinate clause placed before the main verb 確認します?
Japanese typically puts time, condition, and relative clauses before the main clause. Here you have two pre-actions—checking for forgotten items and closing the door—both expressed as subordinate ideas and then the main action 確認します (“I check/confirm”). The flow is: “[Check this] before [that], [main verb].”
Could we use 忘れ物があるか instead of ないか? How would the nuance change?

Yes, you could say 忘れ物があるか (“whether there are any forgotten items”).

  • あるか focuses on finding something left behind.
  • ないか focuses on confirming that you have left behind nothing.
    Both lead to the same result, but ないか has the nuance of making sure your hands (and mind) are clear of items.
Why is 確認します used here? Can I use another verb like 確かめる, and how formal is it?
  • 確認する means “to confirm” or “to check” and is common in daily and business contexts.
  • 確かめる also means “to make sure” but feels a bit more hands-on (“verify, ascertain”).
  • The ～します ending is the polite form, suitable for most polite situations. In casual speech you’d drop ます and say 確認する or 確かめる, or even use the English loan チェックする.
How would you say this sentence more casually or informally?

Here are a few casual variations:

  • ドアを閉める前に忘れ物がないか確認するよ。
  • ドア閉める前に忘れ物ないかチェックしとくね。
  • 閉める前に忘れ物ないかサッと確認するわ。
    You can drop particles (e.g. を), use slangy endings (しとく, ね), or even mix in チェック for a more relaxed feel.