What is the Kanji for "What"?
If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "What", you've come to the right place!
The Japanese Kanji for "What" is "何".
This kanji has 2 readings:
Its kunyomi readings are "Nani" and "Nan".
kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.
If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:
The radical "亻" means "Person" . And The kanji "可" means "Possible" and can be read as "Ka".
Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.
What does the kanji "何" mean in japanese?
"何" means "What".
Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.
Here are some words that use this kanji:
何: "What". The Japanese pronoun '何 (なに)' means 'what'. It is used to ask about something or to inquire about a specific person, place, or thing. Examples: What is this? - (これは何ですか). What do you want to eat? - (何を食べたいですか).
何時: "When". The pronoun '何時 (いつ)' means 'when'. It is used to ask about or inquire about a specific time or moment. It can be used in questions such as '何時に来ますか?' (When will you come?) or statements like '彼は何時に起きるでしょうか?' (I wonder when he will wake up). This word is very commonly used in Japanese conversation and writing.
何処: "Where". The Japanese pronoun '何処 (どこ)' means 'where'. This pronoun is used to ask about a place or location. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as asking for directions, inquiring about a person's whereabouts, or wondering about the location of an object. For example: Where is the library? - (図書館はどこですか). I don't know where my keys are - (私のカギはどこにあるかわかりません).
何の: "Which" or "What". The Japanese determiner '何の (どの)' can be translated as 'which' or 'what'. It is used to ask about or indicate a specific person, thing, or entity from a group or set. '何の' is typically used when asking about or referring to a specific entity, rather than asking about something in general. For example: Which bag is yours? - (どの鞄があなたのですか。), What book are you reading? - (何の本を読んでいますか。)
何故: "Why". The Japanese adverb '何故 (なぜ)' means 'why'. It is used to ask for a reason or an explanation for something. '何故' can be used in a variety of contexts, such as asking for the motivation behind an action or inquiring about the causes of a particular event. For example: Why did you come late? - (何故遅刻したの?). I don't know why he didn't come - (彼が来なかった理由がわかりません).
何れ: "Which" or "Whichever". The pronoun '何れ (いずれ)' means 'which' or 'whichever'. It is used to refer to an unspecified or unknown item from a group of things. For example: Which one do you want? - (何れが欲しいですか?)。I will take whichever one is left - (何れか残っているのを取ります).
何方: "Which". The pronoun '何方 (どちら)' means 'which'. It is used to inquire about a choice or selection between two or more options. It can be used to ask about people, places, or things. For example: Which one do you prefer? - (どちらが好きですか). Which way should we go? - (どちらに行けばいいですか).
何か: "Something". 何か (なにか)' is a Japanese indefinite pronoun meaning 'something'. It is used to refer to an unspecified or unknown thing. This pronoun can be used in a variety of contexts, such as when the speaker is uncertain about what they are referring to or when they want to be vague. For example: What is that? - (それは何か?), I have to do something - (何かしなければいけない).
何度: "Times". The Japanese noun '何度 (なんど)' means 'times'. It is used to indicate the number of occurrences of an action or event. For example: How many times have you been to Tokyo? - (東京に何度行きましたか?). I've been to the store three times today - (今日お店に何度も行きました).
如何に: "How" or "To what degree". The adverb '如何に (いかに)' can mean 'how' or 'to what degree'. It is used to ask about the manner or degree of something. For example: How did you do it? - (如何に それをしたか). He is extremely talented - (彼は如何に才能がある).
如何: "How". The Japanese adjectival noun '如何 (いかが)' means 'how'. It is used to ask questions about the state, condition, or degree of something. It can also be used to express polite uncertainty or to make a suggestion. For example: How are you? - (如何ですか). How about going to the park? - (公園に行くのはいかがですか).
如何なる: "Any" or "Whatever". The Japanese determiner '如何なる (いかなる)' means 'any' or 'whatever'. It is used to express that something applies to all members of a group, regardless of their specific characteristics. It emphasizes the inclusiveness or universality of the statement. For example: Whatever the reason may be - (如何なる理由であれ). Any person can apply - (如何なる人でも申し込むことができます).
何事: "Matter" or "Affair". The Japanese noun '何事 (なにごと)' means 'matter' or 'affair'. It is used to refer to a specific event, issue, or occurrence. This word can be used in a general sense to inquire about any event or incident, or more specifically to describe a particular matter or affair. For example: What is the matter? - (何事ですか). This is a serious affair - (これは大事な何事です).
何しろ: "Anyway" or "No matter what". The adverb '何しろ (なにしろ)' is used to emphasize or highlight something, regardless of the circumstances. It can be translated as 'anyway' or 'no matter what'. This adverb is often used to indicate that something is important or significant despite other factors. For example: I'll go to the party anyway - (何しろ、パーティーに行きます). No matter what happens, I'll finish the project - (何しろ、プロ ジェクトは完成させます).
何とか: "Somehow". The adverb '何とか (なんとか)' means 'somehow'. It is used to express that something has been or will be accomplished despite difficulties or obstacles. It conveys a sense of determination or resourcefulness in achieving a goal. For example: I'll somehow make it work - (何とか上手くいくだろう). She managed to finish the project somehow - (何とかプロジェクトを仕上げられた).
何より: "Above all" or "Especially". The Japanese noun '何より (なにより)' means 'above all' or 'especially'. It is used to emphasize that something is the most important or the most significant consideration. It can be used to prioritize or highlight the most crucial element of a statement. For example: Above all, I want to make him happy - (何より彼を幸せにしたい). Especially this dish is delicious - (この料理が何より美味しい).
何と: "Surprisingly". The adverb '何と (なんと)' means 'surprisingly'. It is used to express a sense of surprise or astonishment about something. It can be used to introduce surprising information or emphasize the unexpected nature of a situation. For example: Surprisingly, it started raining - (何と、雨が降り始めた). I couldn't believe it, you won the lottery! - (何と、あなたが宝くじに当たったと!).
何となく: "Vaguely". The adverb '何となく (なんとなく)' means 'vaguely'. It is used to express a sense of uncertainty or lack of clear reason. This word conveys the idea that something is done without a specific purpose or clear motivation, but rather on a whim or gut feeling. For example: I chose to go to the park today, just because - (何となく公園に行くことにしたの). I felt a vague sense of unease - (何となく不安な気分だった).
何だか: "Somehow" or "In some way". The Japanese adverb '何だか (なんだか)' means 'somehow' or 'in some way'. It is used to express uncertainty or vagueness about a situation or feeling. It can be used to describe an unexplainable or indescribable feeling or action. For example: I feel somehow uneasy about this - (何だか落ち着かない), I somehow managed to complete the task - (何だかうまくできた).
何で: "Why". The adverb '何で (なんで)' means 'why'. This adverb is used to ask for reasons or explanations. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. For example: Why did you do that? - (あなたはなぜそうしたのですか?). I don't know why they didn't come - (なぜ彼らが来なかったのか分かりません)
何て: "How". The adverb '何て (なんて)' expresses astonishment or emphasis. It is used to exclaim over something surprising or remarkable. For example: How beautiful! - (何て綺麗なの!). You're so smart! - (あなたは何て賢いの!)
何千: "Many" or "Several". The noun 何千 (なんぜん) means 'many' or 'several'. This word is used to indicate a large but unspecified number of something. It can be used to describe a range or quantity without needing to give an exact figure. For example: There are many cars on the road - (道路には何千台の車が走っている). Several people attended the event - (何千人もの人が出席したイベントだった).
何百: "Hundreds". The Japanese noun '何百 (なんびゃく)' means 'hundreds'. It is used to indicate an indefinite number in the hundreds range. This word is often used when the exact number is not known or not important to specify. For example: There were hundreds of people at the concert - (コンサートには何百人もの人が来ていた). She has hundreds of books in her collection - (彼女のコレクションには何百冊もの本がある).
何十: "Tens". The Japanese noun '何十 (なんじゅう)' means 'tens'. It is used to indicate a number in the tens place, such as ten, twenty, thirty, etc. For example: How many people are there? There are about forty people - (どのくらいの人がいますか? 約四十人います).
何者: "Who". The Japanese noun '何者 (なにもの)' means 'who'. This word is used to inquire about a person's identity or to refer to an unknown or unspecified person. It can also be used to ask about the nature or essence of something. For example: Who is that? - (あれは何者ですか?). I don't know what he is - (彼は何者かわかりません).
何時頃: "Around what time". The Japanese noun '何時頃 (いつごろ)' refers to 'around what time' or 'approximately what time'. It is used to ask about the general timeframe of an event or activity, without needing to specify the exact time. For example: What time do you usually have dinner? - (晩ご飯はいつごろ食べますか?). Around 7 o'clock - (7時頃).
何物: "What". The noun '何物 (なにもの)' means 'what'. It is used to ask about the identity or nature of something. It can refer to both concrete and abstract things. For example: What is that? - (あれは何物ですか). What do you want? - (何物が欲しいですか).
何遍: "Times". The noun '何遍 (なんべん)' refers to an unspecified or indefinite number of times that an action or event occurs. It is used to ask or express how many times something has happened. For example: How many times have you been to Tokyo? - (東京に何遍行きましたか). I've read this book three times - (この本を何遍も読みました).
To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.
But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.
Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.
This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:
The hiragana "な" is read as "na". The hiragana "に" is read as "ni". And The hiragana "ん" is read as "n".
Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.
For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).
For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).
For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.