Onyomi 音読み

Kunyomi 訓読み

Explanation

What, how many, how much

Personalized Lesson For You!

Kanji Story

Imagine a person with arms raised in confusion, saying '何?' which means 'What?' in Japanese.

Frequency in JLPT exams

The kanji '何' is a fundamental character in the Japanese language and is encountered frequently in JLPT materials, especially at the N5 level. Knowing the different readings and meanings of '何' is essential for understanding basic questions and counting.

Example Sentences

• 何をしていますか？

  What are you doing?

  なにをしていますか？

  nani o shiteimasu ka?

  Pronunciation

• 何人いますか？

  How many people are there?

  なんにんいますか？

  nan nin imasu ka?

  Pronunciation

• 何時間かかりますか？

  How many hours will it take?

  なんじかんかかりますか？

  nan jikan kakarimasu ka?

  Pronunciation

Notes and Tips for JLPT students

• The kanji '何' is commonly used in everyday conversations and is necessary to understand basic questions and counting in Japanese.
• Both the kunyomi readings 'なに' and 'なん' are frequently used, with 'なに' being used when the word stands alone and 'なん' being used when combined with a counter word.
• Pay attention to the context when using '何' as it can have different meanings depending on the situation.

Usage in Japanese Names

• Names like '何田' (Nada) or '何原' (Nabara) use the kanji '何'. It can be used in surnames as a way to symbolize the idea of 'what' or 'unknown'.