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:

この会議の趣旨は何ですか？

Kono kaigi no shushi wa nan desu ka?

What is the purpose of this meeting?

• この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this one"
• 会議 - Noun meaning "meeting" or "conference"
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• 趣旨 - noun that means "purpose" or "objective"
• 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

この病気の症状は何ですか？

Kono byouki no shoujou wa nan desu ka?

What are the symptoms of this disease?

• この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this one"
• 病気 - noun meaning "disease"
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• 症状 - noun meaning "symptom"
• 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

この円の直径は何センチですか？

Kono en no chokkei wa nan senchi desu ka?

What is the diameter of this circle in centimeters?

What is the diameter of this circle?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 円 - noun meaning "circle" or "yen" (Japanese currency)
• の - particle that indicates possession or relationship between words
• 直径 - noun meaning "diameter"
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• センチ - abbreviation for "centimeter"
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form
• か - Particle that indicates a question
• ？ - punctuation mark that indicates a question

この地方の名物は何ですか？

Kono chihō no meibutsu wa nan desu ka?

What is the specialty of this region?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 地方 - noun meaning "region"
• の - Possession particle
• 名物 - noun that means "culinary specialty"
• は - Topic particle
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - verb to be in the polite form
• か - interrogative particle

この物体は何ですか？

Kono buttai wa nan desu ka?

What is this object?

What is this object?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 物体 - noun meaning "object" or "body"
• は - particle that marks 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

この袋には何が入っていますか？

Kono fukuro ni wa nani ga haitte imasu ka?

What is inside this bag?

What's in this bag?

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 袋 - noun that means "bag"
• に - particle that indicates the action of placing something in a place
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 入っています - verb that means "to be inside"
• か - Particle that indicates a question

これらは何ですか？

Korera wa nan desu ka?

What are these?

Who are they?

• これら - demonstrative pronoun that means "these"
• は - Topic particle
• 何 - interrogative pronoun that means "what"
• です - verb to be in the polite form
• か - interrogative particle indicating a question

その外には何があるのか知りません。

Sono soto ni wa nani ga aru no ka shirimasen

I don't know what's beyond that.

I don't know what's out there.

• その - demonstrative pronoun "that"
• 外に - adverb of place "outside"
• は - Topic particle
• 何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
• が - subject particle
• ある - verb "to exist"
• のか - interrogative particle
• 知りません - verb "not to know"

その森には何か気配がある。

Sono mori ni wa nanika kehai ga aru

There is a sense of presence in those woods.

There is something of a sign in the forest.

• その - demonstrative pronoun meaning "that"
• 森 - noun meaning "forest"
• に - particle that indicates the location of something
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 何か - indefinite pronoun meaning "something"
• 気配 - noun meaning "signs", "indications"
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• ある - Verb that means "to exist"

一体何が起こったのか？

Ittai nani ga okotta no ka?

What happened?

• 一体 - It means "after all" or "in the end."
• 何 - it means "what"
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 起こった - "ocorrer" no passado = "happen" in the past
• の - Particle that indicates a question
• か - Particle that indicates a question