Nani desu ka: what does it mean & why is it weird? (2024)

April 2, 2020 By Masaki Mori

What does “nani desu ka” mean in Japanese?

Some may say “nani desu ka” to mean ‘what?’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this phrase as it is sometimes used on the internet and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this phrase in detail based on its grammatical components. And also, I will explain why it sounds weird to the Japanese native speakers. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “nani desu ka” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Definition and meaning of “nani desu ka”
What does “nani desu ka” literally mean?
Why does “nani desu ka” sound weird?
Does “nani” always become “nan”?
Difference between “nan de” and “nande”
Summary

Definition and meaning of “nani desu ka”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “nani desu ka”.

What does “nani desu ka” literally mean?

The phrase consists of the following three components:

nani – 何 (なに) : an interrogative pronoun meaning ‘what’ in Japanese. This can work alone with the raised pitch to say “what?” in Japanese. Japanese native speakers indeed often use this to say “what?” especially in speaking.
desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the phrase, this is used after “nani” to make it sound polite.
ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the phrase to make the question.

These three components tell us that “nani desu ka” literally means ‘what?’ politely in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meaning.

Nani desu ka: what does it mean & why is it weird? (1)

Why does “nani desu ka” sound weird?

In Japanese, connections are sometimes much more important than words themselves. In other words, some are pronounced differently depending on the other words used together. “Nani” is one of them. When it is followed by a particle or an auxiliary verb, its pronunciation is changed to “nan” for a better connection. This means that its pronunciation should be “nan” instead of “nani” in front of the auxiliary verb, “desu”, in the phrase. This is why “nani desu ka” sounds totally weird to the Japanese native speakers. Although we can find the wrong version very easily on the internet and the like, Japanese learners should stick to the correct pronunciation.

Does “nani” always become “nan”?

As I explained above, when “nani” is followed by a particle or an auxiliary verb, its pronunciation is changed to “nan” for a better connection. The question here is, does this always happen? My answer is, yes in many cases but not always. We need to be careful with, at least, one exception:

nani de – 何で (なにで) : a combination of “nani” and “de“. “De” is a case particle used to say what means or way someone takes to do something. Its role is very similar to that of the English preposition, “by”. So, this combination can literally be translated as “by what” and considered as a phrase to ask someone what means or way they takes to do something in Japanese.

“Nani” in front of a particle or an auxiliary verb is not always changed to “nan”. In fact, we can use the combination of “nani” and “de”. This does not mean, however, that we cannot say “nan de” to ask what means or way someone takes to do something in Japanese. Actually, Japanese native speakers often use “nan de” for that purpose. Still, we need to be careful with the confusion between “nan de” and “nande”. Let me summarize the difference.

Difference between “nan de” and “nande”

To be honest, the following two words can be very confusing even for the native speakers.

nan de – 何で (なんで) : a combination of “nani” and “de”, which has a smoother connection. This is more or less the same as “nan de” explained above. This can work to ask what means or way someone takes to do something.
nande – 何で (なんで) : an adverb meaning ‘why’ in Japanese. This can be used to make why questions in Japanese. This is one word, not a combination.

Although both have the same pronunciation and expression, they have different meanings and roles. In addition, while “nan de” is grammatically a combination of two words, “nande” is one word. So, we need to differentiate one from the other. In reality, however, it is quite difficult or nearly impossible. Even Japanese native speakers sometimes cannot understand a meaning of “何で” correctly.

Both are definitely confusing also for Japanese learners. When we hear someone saying “何で”, we need to be very careful with the context and situation. Sometimes, we need ask them what is their intention behind the word.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “nani desu ka” in detail based on its grammatical components. And also, I’ve explained why it sounds weird to the Japanese native speakers. Furthermore, I’ve explained “nani de”, “nan de”, and “nande”. Let me summarize them as follows.

nani desu ka – 何ですか (なにですか) : a phrase politely meaning ‘what?’ in Japanese. However, this sounds weird to the Japanese native speakers.
nani de – 何で (なにで) : a combination of “nani” and “de”. “De” is a case particle used to say what means or way someone takes to do something. Its role is very similar to that of the English preposition, “by”. So, this combination can literally be translated as “by what” and considered as a phrase to ask someone what means or way they takes to do something in Japanese.
nan de – 何で (なんで) : a combination of “nani” and “de”, which has a smoother connection. This is more or less the same as “nan de” explained above. This can work to ask what means or way someone takes to do something.
nande – 何で (なんで) : an adverb meaning ‘why’ in Japanese. This can be used to make why questions in Japanese. This is one word, not a combination.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.