Asking Questions with なに (Nani) for JLPT N5 – Day22

こんにちは！ Welcome to Day 22 of Your 100-Day Japanese Challenge!

You’ve reached Day 22 of our 100-day journey to conquer JLPT N5! You’ve already mastered hiragana, greetings, numbers, family terms, and expressing likes with すき (suki).

You’re building a strong foundation to learn Japanese for beginners, and today, we’re unlocking a powerful tool for curiosity: the question words なに (nani – what) and なん (nan – what).

Imagine pointing at a strange object in a Japanese market or asking about a new word in class – 「なに/なん」 will make you sound natural and spark real conversations.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be asking “What’s that?” like a pro, ready for JLPT N5 prep. Let’s get curious!

Why なに (Nani) Is Essential for Beginners

The word なに (nani) is a key part of JLPT N5 grammar and vocabulary.

It’s used to ask about things, objects, or concepts, making it perfect for exploring the world around you.

In the JLPT N5 exam, なに appears in listening, reading, and grammar sections, often with particles like は (wa) or ですか (desu ka).

Mastering なに today builds on your Day 21 skills (using すき) and sets you up for more complex questions later. Plus, it’s a fun way to engage with native speakers!

Let’s learn to ask “What’s that?” with confidence!

Main Lesson: How to Use なに (Nani) Step-by-Step

Let’s break down なに in simple, beginner-friendly steps. We’ll use your knowledge of particles (は, が from Days 15 and 21) and the question marker か (Day 15).

We’ll introduce new vocabulary to avoid overlap with Day 21’s words (りんご, ねこ, ほん, おんがく, いぬ, みず, えいが).

Step 1: Understanding なに (Nani)

• Both なに (nani) and なん (nan) mean “what.” なに is pronounced “nah-nee,” and なん is “nahn.” It asks about unknown objects, actions, or concepts.
• Basic structure: [なに/なん] + [particle] + [verb/adjective/です] + [か].
• Example:
  なに が すき ですか？ (Nani ga suki desu ka?) – What do you like?
  これは なん ですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?) – What is this?
• これ (kore – this) points to something near you, は (wa) marks the topic, and ですか (desu ka) makes it polite.

When to Use なに vs. なん

The difference between なに and なん depends on context and grammar. Here’s how to use them:

1. なに (Nani):
   • Used alone or with particles like を (o) or が (ga).
     • なに を かいます か？ (Nani o kaimasu ka?) – What do you buy?
     • なに が おいしい です か？ (Nani ga oishii desu ka?) – What is delicious?
   • Common in casual speech.
     • これ なに？ (Kore nani?) – What’s this? (casual)
   • Sounds clear and emphatic, often used in everyday conversation.
     • なに を よみます か？ (Nani o yomimasu ka?) – What do you read?
2. なん (Nan):
   • Used with です or だ, or when modifying a noun.
     • これは なん ですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?) – What is this? (polite)
     • なん の ほん です か？ (Nan no hon desu ka?) – What kind of book is it?
   • Common when asking about numbers or quantities (e.g., なんさい, なんじ).
     • なん じ です か？ (Nan ji desu ka?) – What time is it?
   • Sounds smoother and softer than なに, often used in polite or formal contexts.
     • なん ですか？ (Nan desu ka?) – What is it? (when asking alone)

Key Point: For JLPT N5, both これは なに ですか？ is not incorrect, but これは なん ですか？ is slightly more natural and common in daily conversation.

Step 2: Key Particles with なに

• は (wa): Marks the topic of the question.
  • これは なん ですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?) – What is this?
  • それ は なん ですか？ (Sore wa nan desu ka?) – What is that? (farther away)
• が (ga): Emphasizes the unknown thing.
  • なに が おいしい です か？ (Nani ga oishii desu ka?) – What is delicious?
• を (o): Used with verbs to ask about actions.
  • なに を かいます か？ (Nani o kaimasu ka?) – What do you buy?

Step 3: New Vocabulary

Here’s a table of new JLPT N5 nouns and verbs for Day 22:

Hiragana	Romaji	English
くるま	kuruma	Car
かう	kau	Buy
かく	kaku	Write
よむ	yomu	Read
これ	kore	This
それ	sore	That
おいしい	oishii	Delicious

Step 5: Polite vs. Casual

• Polite : Use です か for formal settings.
  • これは なん ですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?) – What is this?
• Casual (for friends): Drop です for a relaxed tone.
  • これ なに？ (Kore nani?) – What’s this?

Practice Section: Get Curious with なに!

Let’s put なに/なん to work with these interactive exercises for JLPT N5 prep. Grab a notebook or your phone!

Common Mistakes for English Speakers

English speakers often stumble with なに. Here’s how to avoid pitfalls:

• Wrong context: You cannot use 「なに」 for people. If you say 「なに が きますか？」 when you mean “Who is coming?”, Japanese people will misunderstand and think you are asking about things (such as a delivery, food, or an event), not people.
• Particle mix-up: Use が for preferences (なに が おいしい です か？), not は. Wrong: なに は おいしい です か？

Conclusion: Unleash Your Curiosity!

Today, you learned to ask “What’s that?” with なに, mastered key particles, and practiced new vocabulary.

You’re now ready to explore the world in Japanese – how exciting! Keep up the momentum for JLPT N5 prep.

Tomorrow, join us for Day 23: Describing Things with Adjectives – Big or Small? to add color to your sentences.

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Share a なに question in the comments – what’s something you’re curious about? じゃあ、また あした！ (See you tomorrow!)