Nani (何): "what" in anime, and why it's sometimes nan
何
なに · nani
Nani means "what". Anime characters often shout なに!? or なにぃ!? in shock: "What?!" The kanji 何 is also often read nan, depending on the next sound.
Word by word
| 何 | なに / なん | what |
When nani becomes nan
Before sounds in the t, d and n rows or before counters, 何 usually becomes なん. Examples include 何で (nande, why), 何だ (nan da, what is it) and 何時 (nanji, what time). Alone or before particles such as を and が, it stays なに: 何を食べる？
From a question to disbelief
なに？ is neutral. なんだと!? is an aggressive "What did you say?!", while なんで？ means "Why?" For disbelief, there’s the very casual は？.
More examples
- 何をしている？ nani o shite iru? — What are you doing?
- なんで知ってるの？ nande shitteru no? — How do you know that?
Hear it in real scenes
In Animei you watch anime with Japanese subtitles, tap any word for its reading and meaning, and keep it as a flashcard with the clip it came from.
Try Animei freeRuns in the browser on phone or desktop. No account needed to start.