何 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
何 is the question word "what." Want to ask what something is, what someone is doing, or what you should buy? You reach for 何. With a counter attached it shifts to "how many" — 何人 ("how many people"), 何時 ("what time") — so the same kanji covers both what and how many. It is one of the highest-frequency kanji in the entire language, and you'll see it in nearly every conversation, menu, and form you ever read.
The catch is that 何 doesn't have one fixed reading. It flips between なに and なん depending on what comes after it. Getting that flip right is what this guide is really about.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | なに | 何 (what — standalone: 何が？), 何か (something), 何も (nothing) |
| kun'yomi | なん | 何時 (what time), 何人 (how many people), 何ですか (what is it?) |
| on'yomi | カ | 幾何学 (きかがく, geometry) — rare, advanced |
For 99% of N5 sentences you only need なに and なん. The on'yomi カ is genuinely rare — don't worry about it yet.
So when do you use which? Here's the rule, and it's worth memorizing word-for-word:
- Use なん before a counter (何人, 何時, 何回, 何歳) and before です／だ／の／と (何ですか, 何だ, 何の本, 何という).
- Use なに almost everywhere else, especially when 何 stands more or less alone with a particle: 何が好き？("what do you like?"), 何をしますか ("what will you do?"), 何かある ("is there something?").
A quick memory hook: なん tends to appear right before sounds made at the front of the mouth — t, d, n (so 何と, 何だ, 何の). It's easier to say なんと than なにと, and Japanese took the easier path. Say the two out loud and you'll feel why.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 7. Write the left-side person radical 亻 first (a short slanting stroke, then a long vertical), then build the 可 part on the right top to bottom.
- Radical: 亻, the "person" radical (the squished side-form of 人). It's the same radical you see in kanji like 何 alongside many others, so spotting that little standing-person shape on the left is a useful habit.
Don't read too much into the meaning here — 何 doesn't really mean "person." The 亻 radical is mostly how the kanji is filed in the dictionary, not a clue to its meaning. Just learn it as the look-up category.
Common words using 何
Watch the split working in real time: before a counter we get なん (何時 = なんじ, 何人 = なんにん, 何曜日 = なんようび), but with a bare particle we get なに (何か = なにか, 何も = なにも). Same kanji, two readings, one rule.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは何が好きですか。
ヤッタンは なにが すきですか。
What does Yattan like?
何が — standalone before が, so it reads なに.
モチ、今は何時ですか。
モチ、いまは なんじですか。
Mochi, what time is it now?
何時 — before the counter 時, so it reads なん (なんじ).
弟は「これは何ですか」と先生に聞きました。
おとうとは「これは なんですか」と せんせいに ききました。
My little brother asked the teacher, 'What is this?'
何ですか — before です, so it reads なん (なんですか), not なにですか.
Quick recap
- 何 = what (and how many with a counter); 7 strokes; radical 亻 (person).
- なん before counters (何時・何人・何曜日) and before です／だ／の／と (何ですか・何だ・何の).
- なに almost everywhere else, especially standing alone with a particle (何が・何を・何か・何も).
- The on'yomi カ exists but is rare — skip it for now.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 何 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
When is 何 read なに and when is it なん?
Use なん before a counter (何時 = なんじ, 何人 = なんにん) and before です/だ/の/と (何ですか = なんですか). Use なに almost everywhere else, especially when 何 stands alone with a particle: 何が = なにが, 何を = なにを.
How do you say 'what time is it?' in Japanese?
今、何時ですか (いま、なんじですか). Because 時 is a counter, 何 takes the なん reading, giving なんじ.
Is 何ですか read なにですか or なんですか?
It's なんですか. Before です/だ, 何 always switches to なん, so 何ですか = なんですか ('what is it?').
Does 何 ever use its on'yomi カ?
Very rarely at N5. The カ reading shows up in advanced words like 幾何学 (きかがく, 'geometry'). For everyday Japanese you only need なに and なん.