Translation and Meaning of: 何 - nani

The Japanese word 何 [なに] is one of the most fundamental for those learning the language. It appears in daily situations, dialogues in animes, and even in more formal expressions. In this article, we will explore its meaning, how it is used in everyday life, and some curiosities that help to better understand its role in the Japanese language.

If you've ever wondered how the Japanese ask questions or express doubts, 何 is a key element. Besides being versatile, it has particularities in pronunciation and usage that are worth knowing. Let's uncover all of this next.

Meaning and use of 何 [なに]

"何" means "what" or "which," primarily used to ask questions. It appears in sentences like "何ですか？" (What is this?) or "何を食べますか？" (What are you going to eat?). Its simplicity hides a significant importance in basic Japanese communication.

The interesting thing is that 何 can be pronounced as "nani" or "nan," depending on the context. For example, in "何時ですか？" (What time is it?), the correct reading is "nan-ji." This variation occurs due to fluency in speech, a common phenomenon in many languages.

Origin and writing of the kanji 何

The kanji 何 is composed of the radical for "person" (亻) and the component 可, which historically relates to the idea of "to endure" or "to carry." Together, they create the meaning of "what," possibly connected to the notion of questioning something that someone carries or possesses. Sources like Kanjipedia and 漢字源 confirm this interpretation.

It is worth noting that 何 is not one of the more complex kanji, but its presence in basic questions makes it essential from the very first steps in learning Japanese. It is classified as one of the N5 level kanji of the JLPT, precisely because of its immediate usefulness.

Curiosities and tips for memorization

An effective way to remember 何 is to associate it with iconic scenes from animes where characters exclaim "Nani?!" when they are surprised. This expression of shock or disbelief is so striking that it has even become an international meme. If you watch Japanese productions, you have definitely heard it many times.

Another tip is to practice with simple questions in your daily life, even if mentally. Phrases like "何これ？" (What is this?) or "何が好き？" (What do you like?) help reinforce the natural use of the words. Repetition in real contexts makes memorization easier than just memorizing vocabulary lists.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 何か (nanika) - Something; an undetermined thing.
• なに (nani) - What; used to ask.
• なん (nan) - Abbreviated form of "nani"; also used in informal questions.
• なにがし (nanigashi) - An unspecified person or thing; a vague term to refer to something or someone.
• なにごと (nanigoto) - What; used to ask about a specific event or situation.
• なにもの (nanimono) - Who; something that refers to a specific person or entity.
• なにやら (nani yara) - Something like; a vague term to refer to an action or thing, without specifying.

何

Romaji: nani
Kana: なに
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3, jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: what

Meaning in English: what

Definition: Sorry, I can't answer your question because it's not specific. If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Example Sentences - (何) nani

See below some example sentences:

この問題の解答は何ですか？

Kono mondai no kaitō wa nan desu ka?

What is the answer to this problem?

What is the answer to this problem?

• この - demonstrative indicating proximity, in this case "this"
• 問題 - noun meaning "problem"
• の - particle indicating possession, in this case "of"
• 解答 - noun meaning "answer" or "solution"
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "about"
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - Particle that indicates a question

この本のジャンルは何ですか？

Kono hon no janru wa nan desu ka?

What is the genre of this book?

• この - demonstrative meaning "this"
• 本 - noun meaning "book"
• の - possessive particle indicating that the book belongs to someone or something
• ジャンル - noun meaning "gender"
• は - particle that marks the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - interrogative particle indicating a question

このものは何ですか？

Kono mono wa nan desu ka?

What is it?

What is this thing?

• この - demonstrative pronoun "this"
• もの - noun "thing"
• は - Topic particle
• 何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - interrogative particle

このプレゼンテーションの主題は何ですか？

Kono purezentēshon no shudai wa nan desu ka?

What is the theme of this presentation?

• この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" in Japanese
• プレゼンテーション - Japanese word meaning "presentation"
• の - Japanese particle indicating possession or belonging
• 主題 - Japanese word meaning "theme" or "main subject"
• は - particle in Japanese that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 何 - Japanese word meaning "what"
• です - Japanese verb indicating "to be" or "estar" (polite form)
• か - particle in Japanese that indicates a question
• ？ - punctuation mark in Japanese that indicates a question

この写真の焦点は何ですか？

Kono shashin no shōten wa nan desu ka?

What is the focus of this photo?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 写真 - noun meaning "photograph" or "image"
• の - particle that indicates possession or relationship between two words
• 焦点 - noun meaning "focal point" or "focus"
• は - particle indicating the theme or subject of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present
• か - Particle that indicates a question

この名称は何ですか？

Kono meishou wa nan desu ka?

What is its name?

What is that name?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 名称 - noun that means "name" or "designation"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - Particle that indicates a question
• ？ - punctuation mark that indicates a question

この本のタイトルは何ですか？

Kono hon no taitoru wa nan desu ka?

What is the title of this book?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 本 - noun meaning "book"
• の - Particle indicating possession or relationship
• タイトル - noun that means "title"
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - Particle that indicates a question

この言葉の意味は何ですか？

Kono kotoba no imi wa nan desu ka?

What is the meaning of this word?

What is the meaning of this word?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 言葉 - noun that means "word"
• の - possessive particle that indicates that "言葉" is the object of possession
• 意味 - noun meaning "significance"
• は - topic particle that indicates that "この言葉の意味" is the subject of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - verb to be in the polite form
• か - interrogative particle that indicates that the sentence is a question

この製品の用途は何ですか？

Kono seihin no yōto wa nan desu ka?

What is the use of this product?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 製品 - noun meaning "product" or "merchandise"
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• 用途 - noun that means "use" or "application"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - Particle that indicates a question
• ？ - punctuation mark that indicates a question

この題名は何ですか？

Kono daima wa nan desu ka?

What is the title of this topic?

What is this title?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 題名 - noun that means "title" or "title name"
• は - topic particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - verb to be in the polite form
• か - interrogative particle indicating a question