sensushiClassroom

N5 — outside your level filter

何なに

なにnaniN5neutral

が / を / に

what — なに normally, なん before だ／です／の／でも and before a counter

今日きょうの晩ばんご飯はんは何なにを作つくるの？

kyou no bangohan wa nani o tsukuru no?

What are you making for dinner tonight? casual

冷蔵庫れいぞうこに何なにか入はいってる？

reizouko ni nanika haitteru?

Is there something in the fridge? casual

All examples14

what — the bare question word, taking a particle like any noun

  1. 今日きょうの晩ばんご飯はんは何なにを作つくるの？

    kyou no bangohan wa nani o tsukuru no?

    What are you making for dinner tonight? casual

  2. お土産みやげは何なにがいいですか。

    omiyage wa nani ga ii desu ka.

    What souvenir would be good? neutral

  3. それ、何なにに使つかうんですか。

    sore, nani ni tsukau n desu ka.

    What do you use that for? neutral

how many, what number — 何なに joins a counter as なん, asking the count

  1. かばんの中なかに傘かさが何なん本ぼん入はいってるの？

    kaban no naka ni kasa ga nanbon haitteru no?

    How many umbrellas are in the bag? casual

  2. このプロジェクトのメンバーは何なん人にんですか。

    kono purojekuto no menbaa wa nannin desu ka.

    How many members are on this project? neutral

  3. 明日あしたの会議かいぎは何なん時じからですか。

    ashita no kaigi wa nanji kara desu ka.

    What time does tomorrow's meeting start? neutral

  4. え、その犬いぬ、何なん歳さい？

    e, sono inu, nansai?

    Huh, how old is that dog? casual

what — 何なん naming a thing (plain だ, polite です) or its kind (の)

  1. 「これ何なんなの？」「ああ、それ新あたらしいゲームだよ。」

    "kore nan na no?" "aa, sore atarashii geemu da yo."

    "What's this?" "Oh, that's the new game." casual

  2. すみません、これは何なんですか。

    sumimasen, kore wa nan desu ka.

    Excuse me, what is this? neutral

  3. 今いま読よんでるの、何なんの本ほん？

    ima yonderu no, nan no hon?

    What kind of book are you reading right now? casual

something; anything — 何なにか marks one unnamed thing

  1. 冷蔵庫れいぞうこに何なにか入はいってる？

    reizouko ni nanika haitteru?

    Is there something in the fridge? casual

nothing — 何なにも with a negative denies everything (see 何なにも〜ない)

  1. 今日きょうは何なにも食たべていません。

    kyou wa nani mo tabete imasen.

    I haven't eaten anything today. neutral

anything at all — 何なんでも covers every option, no exceptions

  1. 何なんでも好すきなものを頼たのんでいいよ。

    nandemo suki na mono o tanonde ii yo.

    Order whatever you like — anything's fine. casual

nothing at all — 何なんにも, the stronger spoken form of 何なにも

  1. 財布さいふの中なかに何なんにも入はいってない。

    saifu no naka ni nannimo haittenai.

    There's nothing at all in my wallet. casual

How it's formed3

All forms1

  • 何なんnanalternant

    The joined reading before だ／です／の and before any counter (何なんだ・何なんの・何本なんぼん).

Notes

なん goes before だ／です／の, でも, and a counter (何本なんぼん・何人なんにん). One kanji
splits by meaning: 何人なんにん counts heads, 何人なにじん asks nationality.