Negative questions + の


First I'm kinda confused. I'm concerned if these 2 questions bring the same
nuance or not... "Isn't he young?" and "He is not young? / He isn't young?".
Both sounds quite different on how they imply the speaker's perspective.

I believe that these 2 questions are different...

> 彼は医者じゃない? 彼は医者なんじゃない?
>
> 授業がない? 授業があるんじゃない?

The former just asked "He is not a doctor?" and "There is no class?", which
imply that the speaker wanted to clarify the negative situation.

The latter is explanatory seeking. "Isn't he a doctor? (I thought he is!)" and
"Isn't there a class? (I thought there is!)" imply that the speaker wanted to
clarify that their first stimuli received are wrong.

Here comes い adj.

> 臭くない?

Here the guy is asking "Isn't it Smelly? (It's stinky!)", more like "It's
stinky, right? (asking for the listener's agreement).

> 怖くないの?

this is translated as "you aren't scared?"

and furthermore if I add の after じゃない, what changes?

> 授業があるんじゃない vs 授業があるんじゃないの

does the latter just mean more explanatory seeking?

The whole ordeal confuses me. **If indeed those 2 questions at the beginning
differ** , can someone explain to me every formula in constructing negative
questions with/without の that gives out specific nuances?




The の particle here is the explanation particle, it gives an emphasis and
further wish of explaining from the person who answers, I think it makes the
question a bit stronger cause you just don't want an answer, you want a proper
explanation.

> パーティーに行かない？（Paatii ni ikanai?) Are you not going to the party?
>
> パーティーに行かないの？（Paatii ni ikanai no?) Are you not going the party? (explain to
> me why)

You can also abbreviate の with ん, for instance:

> 彼女が好きじゃないんだ？(Kanojo ga suki janain da?) Don't you like her? (why)

Now, I'm not 100% sure when it comes to questions, but for affirmatives when I
use んだ, なんだよ people often say to me that it makes the sentence too strong, and
it doesn't always fit. Something like.

> 今日、大学に行かないんだよ (kyou, daigaku ni ikanain da yo) I'm not going to college
> today!!!

