What does 何 mean in Japanese?
何 means “what.” It is read なに (nani) or なん (nan), as in 何ですか (nan desu ka, what is it?).
Before a counter, it asks “how many” or “which,” as in 何人 (nannin, how many people) and 何時 (nanji, what time).
Reading
On’yomi: カ (ka)
Kun’yomi: なに (nani), なん (nan)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 何 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | what, how many |
| Stroke Count | 7 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
Common patterns are なん in 何ですか and 何時 and なに in 何を食べますか, but this is not a fixed sound rule: 何色 (what color) is read なにいろ, so learn each word with its reading. On its own, 何? (nani?) is casual and can sound abrupt, so 何ですか is safer with people you do not know well.
Common Words
- 何時（なんじ / nanji） — what time
- 何人（なんにん / nannin） — how many people
- 何回（なんかい / nankai） — how many times
- 何日（なんにち / nannichi） — what day of the month; how many days
- 何か（なにか / nanika） — something
- 何でも（なんでも / nandemo） — anything
Example Sentences
-
すみません、今何時ですか。
すみません、いまなんじですか。 / Sumimasen, ima nanji desu ka.
Excuse me, what time is it?
-
ご家族は何人ですか。
ごかぞくはなんにんですか。 / Gokazoku wa nannin desu ka.
How many people are in your family?
-
次の会議は何曜日ですか。
つぎのかいぎはなんようびですか。 / Tsugi no kaigi wa nan’youbi desu ka.
What day of the week is the next meeting?
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
何時 (nanji) asks “what time,” but 何時間 (nanjikan) asks “how many hours,” so listen for 間 at the end. 何日 (nannichi) can ask either the date or the number of days, and the context tells you which.
Summary
Learn each 何 word with its reading, なん or なに, and add a counter to ask how many.
Want to study more JLPT N4 kanji by theme? See our JLPT N4 Kanji Study List.