Learn Hardcore Japanese: kaisaisuru ka douka ha, tenki to kaizyou no nittei de kimarimasu. - Whether it will be held depends on the weather and the venue’s schedule.

〜かどうか means “whether or not.” It attaches to the plain (dictionary) form: 開催するかどうか = “whether or not (we) hold it.”
〜か alone can mean “whether,” but for yes/no situations, Japanese usually prefers 〜かどうか. Using just 〜か often sounds incomplete unless:
- you list both alternatives: 行くか行かないか (“whether to go or not”)
- or the structure clearly licenses bare か (less common).
Safe rule: for a yes/no “whether,” use 〜かどうか.

Why is there a は after 〜かどうか? Could I use が instead?

は marks the whole clause 開催するかどうか as the topic: “As for whether it will be held…”
が is also possible: 開催するかどうかが、天気と会場の日程で決まります。 Here, the clause is the grammatical subject. Nuance:
- は: sets up a topic (background/contrast), very natural in expository statements.
- が: marks it as the subject and can feel a bit more “new information” or focused.
Both are correct; は is common for this kind of “As for whether X…” statement.

Why is it 開催する (plain) inside 〜かどうか and not 開催します?

Inside embedded questions (and most subordinate clauses), Japanese uses the plain form. Politeness appears at the sentence end: …決まります.
So you get 開催するかどうかは…決まります, not 開催しますかどうかは… (incorrect).

Would 開催されるかどうか be better than 開催するかどうか?

開催するかどうか = “whether (someone) will hold it” (agent-side perspective; organizers’ action).
開催されるかどうか = “whether it will be held” (event-side perspective; neutral/passive).
Both can fit; choose based on viewpoint. If you want a neutral “whether it will take place,” 開催されるかどうか is slightly more attendee-facing.

What about 開催できるかどうか?

開催できるかどうか means “whether it is possible to hold it.” This shifts the focus from the decision to feasibility.
Given “weather” and “venue schedule” are constraints, 開催できるかどうか is also very natural if you want to stress possibility rather than intention.

What does the particle で do in 天気と会場の日程で決まります?

で marks the basis/means/criterion. Here: “It is decided by/according to the weather and the venue’s schedule.”
You can paraphrase with によって: 天気と会場の日程によって決まります.

Why not 天気と会場の日程に決まります or 天気と会場の日程が決めます?

〜に決まる marks the result chosen: 日程は金曜日に決まりました (“The date was set to Friday”). Saying 天気と会場の日程に決まります would wrongly mean “It gets decided as ‘weather and schedule’.”
決める is transitive (“decide”). 天気と会場の日程が決めます treats weather/schedule as the decider (agent), which is unnatural. You’d say: 主催者が天気と会場の日程を見て決めます (“The organizers decide after looking at the weather and the venue’s schedule”).

What exactly does 会場の日程 mean? Is that natural?

会場の日程 means “the venue’s schedule/available dates.” It’s understandable and acceptable.
Alternatives you’ll often see:
- 会場のスケジュール
- 会場の空き状況／予約状況
- 会場の都合
日程 tends to emphasize dates/itinerary; with a venue it implies when it can be used.

Can I use や instead of と? What’s the nuance?

と = “and” listing a complete, exact set of factors: weather and venue schedule.
や = “and things like,” implying there may be other factors too.
So 天気や会場の日程で決まります ≈ “It depends on things like the weather and the venue’s schedule.”

How else can I say “depends on” here?

Can I drop どうか and say 開催するかは…?

For a yes/no “whether,” Japanese typically requires 〜かどうか. 〜かは often feels incomplete or unnatural.
Natural options:
- 開催するかどうかは…
- 開催するかしないかは… (explicitly stating both alternatives)
Note: 〜かは別として／ともかく is a set pattern where 〜かは does appear, but that’s a special case.

Is 開催 the best verb here? How does it differ from 開く and 行う?

開催する: standard for holding organized events (conferences, tournaments, exhibitions). Very natural here.
開く: “to open/hold,” often for meetings, classes, parties; a bit less formal.
行う: “to carry out/conduct,” broad usage (ceremonies, experiments, events); stylistically neutral/formal.

Where is the object (what is being held)? Why is it omitted?

It’s omitted because context in Japanese often makes it clear. The full version would be like イベントを開催するかどうかは…
Omitting obvious elements is normal and natural.

What nuance does 決まります (non-past) convey—present or future?

Japanese non-past covers both present and future, and also general truths.
Here it states a general rule/process: “It is (will be) decided based on those factors.”

Is it okay to say 決定します instead of 決まります? What changes?

決定します is more formal and transitive (“will decide/decide”), common in official notices: …により決定します.
決まります is intransitive and neutral (“is decided”). For everyday explanation, 決まります is perfect; for formal announcements, 決定します／決定いたします is typical.

How do you pronounce the main words?