なんて / なんか: 'Things Like' and Downplaying (N5 Grammar)
What it means
Japanese has a small family of words for picking out a loose example or downplaying it: なんか and なんて. They attach to a noun (and なんて can follow a plain verb too) to say "things like X," but the real job is tone. なんか makes a statement vaguer and gentler; なんて adds a feeling — usually scorn, modesty, or surprise. Because they carry attitude, both belong to casual, everyday speech, not formal writing.
ヤッタンはなんか疲れた。
ヤッタンは なんか つかれた。
Yattan is kind of tired.
なんか here = 'kind of,' softening the whole feeling.
お茶なんかどう？
おちゃなんか どう？
How about some tea or something?
なんか offers tea as one loose example.
モチは宿題なんて嫌いだ。
モチは しゅくだいなんて きらいだ。
Mochi hates things like homework.
なんて adds a dismissive 'stuff like.'
How to form it
Both usually sit right after a noun. なんて can also follow a plain-form verb to mean "(the idea) that…":
| You have | Add | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noun (お茶) | なんか | お茶なんか | tea or something / things like tea |
| Noun (宿題) | なんて | 宿題なんて | such things as homework (often dismissive) |
| Plain verb (勝つ) | なんて | 勝つなんて | the idea of winning |
| Adjective / feeling | なんか (before it) | なんか疲れた | kind of tired |
Tip: as a softener, なんか often floats at the start of a phrase (なんか疲れた), while as an "example" word it follows the noun (お茶なんか). なんて almost always follows what it comments on.
なんか — softening and vague examples
Used before a feeling or verb, なんか works like English "kind of" or "somehow." Used after a noun, it offers a casual example — "…or something."
今日はなんか元気がない。
きょうは なんか げんきが ない。
I'm kind of low-energy today.
なんか hedges the statement — not fully committed.
週末は映画なんか見たいな。
しゅうまつは えいがなんか みたいな。
On the weekend I kind of want to watch a movie or something.
映画なんか = 'a movie or the like.'
なんか is also one of the most common casual fillers, like English "like" or "um." ヤッタン、なんか、お腹すいた ("Yattan, like, I'm hungry"). Useful to recognize, but easy to overuse.
なんて — dismissing or being surprised
After a noun or plain verb, なんて colors the idea with emotion. Most often it sounds dismissive ("stuff like that, who cares") or surprised ("to think that…!").
ヤッタンが勝つなんて思わなかった。
ヤッタンが かつなんて おもわなかった。
I never thought Yattan would win.
勝つなんて = 'the idea that (he'd) win' — surprise.
先生がそんなことを言うなんて。
せんせいが そんな ことを いうなんて。
To think the teacher would say something like that…
Trailing なんて leaves the surprise hanging.
ヤッタンの弟は野菜なんて食べない。
ヤッタンの おとうとは やさいなんて たべない。
Yattan's little brother won't eat things like vegetables.
野菜なんて = dismissive 'vegetables and the like.'
You can leave なんて dangling at the end of a sentence (…なんて。) to trail off with surprise or dismay — very natural in speech.
Common mistakes
- Using them in formal speech or writing. Both are casual. In a polite or written report, drop them or switch to neutral phrasing like 〜など ("X and so on"). 野菜など (formal) vs 野菜なんて (casual, dismissive).
- Overusing なんか as a filler. It's fine in chat, but stacking "なんか…なんか…" sounds unsure and immature, just like over-saying "like" in English.
- Mixing up the tone. なんか is gentle/vague; なんて leans negative or surprised. Saying ケーキなんて好き to mean "I like cake" sounds odd — that なんて drags in scorn. Use ケーキなんか好き or just ケーキが好き.
- Forgetting なんて can follow a verb. 勝つなんて works (plain verb + なんて); 勝つなんか does not in that "the idea that…" meaning.
Quick recap
- なんか = soften ("kind of") or give a vague example ("…or something"); also a casual filler.
- なんて = "such as / things like," with a dismissive or surprised feeling; can follow a noun or a plain verb.
- Both are casual — avoid them in formal speech and writing; use 〜など instead.
- A trailing …なんて。 leaves surprise or dismay hanging.
Your turn
Choose なんか or なんて to match the nuance.
Start the 5-question drill →Take the full N5 なんて / なんか drill →
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between なんか and なんて?
なんか softens or gives a vague example ('kind of,' '…or something') and works as a casual filler. なんて means 'such as / things like' but adds feeling — usually dismissive or surprised. お茶なんかどう？ is a gentle suggestion; 宿題なんて嫌い is dismissive.
Are なんか and なんて polite?
No — both are casual. In formal speech or writing, drop them or use 〜など ('and so on') instead. For example, write 野菜など rather than 野菜なんて in a report.
Can なんて follow a verb?
Yes. After a plain verb it means 'the idea that…,' often with surprise: 勝つなんて思わなかった ('I never thought I'd win'). なんか does not work this way.
Is it okay to use なんか as a filler?
In casual conversation, yes — it's like English 'like' or 'um.' But overusing it sounds unsure, so use it sparingly.