59067
The following is from one of the definitions of a word in goo辞書:

> [どちらに傾くかの度合い](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/189420/meaning/m0u/%E5%88%86/
> "ぶ")

I do not understand why **か** is used here instead of こと.

Usually, I would expect to see **の** (or こと) nominalize a verb. Nonetheless, I
reckon it would be ungrammatical here, since what follows is the possessive
**の** , and a noun ( **度合い** ).

Alternatively, if I were to write this phrase myself, I would simply attach
the plain verb ( **傾く** ) to the noun ( **度合い** ):

> どちらに傾く度合い

Which seems to express the same thing to me.

I do not think this **かの** is **かのように** , but what about **彼の**? If I
understand correctly, **彼の** is simply an old-fashioned way of saying **あの**.
If so, the phrase could be rewritten thus:

> どちらに傾くあの度合い

Which seems strange to me. (I am a low-level beginner though.) Could someone
please help me understand the grammar at work here?

ご教授どうぞよろしくお願いいたします！
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-29T16:31:23.893
59056
2018-05-30T02:35:12.580
27674
question
grammar particles nominalization
The role of か in [VERB+か+のNOUN]
Two native speakers on HiNative confirmed for me that it was indeed an
embedded question:

> どちらに傾くか。 Which side (out of two) does it lean towards?

What caused me to have a hard time getting it was in fact my mere oversight of
a telltale sign, " **どちら**." It had been begging for my attention the whole
time.

While I am uncertain and have nothing to quote from, I will just go ahead and
assert that `when a *subordinate clause begins with a question word, e.g. どこ,
だれ,` **か** `is always needed to mark it as an embedded question.` Should this
assertion prove to be wrong, hopefully someone would come along, slap me in
the face, and warn everyone else of my blatant blasphemy.  
* _Not sure if subordinate clause is the right term. Ain't been a fan of grammar._

By this assumption, I would also assume that the following is wrong as well:

> どちらに傾く度合い

Finally, the original phrase in the question:

> どちらに傾くかの度合い the degree of which side (out of two) it leans towards

This か makes perfect sense now. Phew.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-30T02:35:12.580
59067
2018-05-30T02:35:12.580
27674
59056
answer