particle N5 common casualpolitewritten
なにか・なにも — something / anything / nothing
なにか・なにも
Meaning
- 何か = something / anything; 何も + negative = nothing / not anything
Key sentence
何か食べたい。
I want to eat something.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 何 + か | 何か | 何か (something) |
| 何 + も + negative | 何も + ...ない | 何も食べない (eat nothing) |
Examples
何か質問はありますか。
Do you have any questions?
今日は何もしたくない。
I don't want to do anything today.
冷蔵庫に何もない。
There's nothing in the fridge.
When you can't use it
- 何も means 'nothing' only with a negative verb (何も知らない = know nothing); it cannot take an affirmative verb. For 'something' (affirmative), use 何か.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 何 reads なに before か / も here (なにか, なにも), though it reads なん elsewhere (何ですか).
See なにか・なにも in real sentences
Jengo shows なにか・なにも the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.