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N5

Kanji 何: meanings, readings, and example words.

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Kanji 何: what

Key takeaways

Kanji 何: what. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

N5

Meaning

what

On reading

Kun reading

なになんなに-なん-

Radical

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 何

what

Kanji structure breakdown

Structure breakdown

亻 + 可

Mnemonic story

Mnemonic story

Imagine a person (亻) asking what is possible (可) or what is right. The scene of questioning 'What is possible?' naturally leads to the meaning of 'what'.

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

  • 如何いかが

    how / in what way

  • 如何にいかに

    how / in what way / however

  • 如何にもいかにも

    indeed / really / truly

  • 何時の間にかいつのまにか

    before one knows / unnoticed / unawares

  • 何処かどこか

    somewhere / anywhere / in some way

  • 何だかなんだか

    somehow / a little / for some reason

  • 何だかんだなんだかんだ

    this and that / something or other

  • 何時かいつか

    sometime / someday / one day

Kun reading

なに
  • 何気ないなにげない

    casual / unconcerned / unintentional

  • 何しろなにしろ

    at any rate / anyhow / anyway

  • 何卒なにとぞ

    please / kindly / sincerely

  • 何もなにも

    nothing / not anything

  • 何よりなにより

    above all / most of all / better than anything

  • 何だかなんだか

    somehow / a little / for some reason

  • 何だかんだなんだかんだ

    this and that / something or other

  • 何てなんて

    what...! / how...! (expressing surprise or emotion)

Commonly used words

  • 如何
    いかが

    how / in what way

  • 如何に
    いかに

    how / in what way / however

  • 如何にも
    いかにも

    indeed / really / truly

  • 何時の間にか
    いつのまにか

    before one knows / unnoticed / unawares

  • 何処か
    どこか

    somewhere / anywhere / in some way

  • 何だか
    なんだか

    somehow / a little / for some reason

  • 何気ない
    なにげない

    casual / unconcerned / unintentional

  • 何しろ
    なにしろ

    at any rate / anyhow / anyway

  • 何卒
    なにとぞ

    please / kindly / sincerely

  • 何も
    なにも

    nothing / not anything

  • 何より
    なにより

    above all / most of all / better than anything

  • 何だか
    なんだか

    somehow / a little / for some reason

Example sentences

Example 1

ご意見はいかがですか?

Translation

What is your opinion?

Example 2

お茶はいかがでしょうか?

Translation

Would you like some tea?

Example 3

いかに努力しても無駄だ。

Translation

No matter how hard you try, it's useless.

Example 4

いかに美しい花でも、枯れる。

Translation

However beautiful the flower is, it will wither.

Kanji 何: what | Daily Nihongo