何
何·what
- On-yomi
- カ
- Kun-yomi
- なになん
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何 | なに | what |
| 何時 | なんじ | what time |
| 何人 | なんにん | how many people |
| 何曜日 | なんようび | what day of the week |
| 何か | なにか | something |
Example sentences
これは 何ですか。
これはなんですか。
What is this?
今日は 何曜日ですか。
きょうはなんようびですか。
What day of the week is it today?
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
- 何可何 is 可 with the person radical 亻 added on the left
Common mistakes
- Saying *なにですか instead of なんですか
Memory aid
Picture it
A person (亻) beside 可: someone standing there asking "what?"
Vocabulary using this kanji
- 何なに／なんwhat
- 何度もなんどもmany times
- 何かなにかsomething
- 何とかなんとかsomehow, one way or another, (just) managing to
- 何でなんでwhy, how come
- 何でもなんでもanything, everything; by all means
- 何らなんらany; (not) at all (with negative)
- 何分なにぶんanyway, at any rate; after all, being that (as an excuse); please (in requests)
- 何々なになにsuch and such, so-and-so (placeholder); what? what is it?
- 何なりとなんなりとanything, whatever
- 何気なくなにげなくcasually, unintentionally
- 何卒なにとぞkindly; please (earnest)
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 1 of 5
What does the kanji 何 mean?