Translation and Meaning of: 何て - nante

On this page, we will study the meaning of the Japanese word 何て (nante) and its translation into English. Let's see their different meanings, example phrases, explanations, etymology and the similar words.

Romaji: nante

Kana: なんて

Type: noun

L: jlpt-n1

何て

Translation / Meaning: like what...!

Meaning in English: how...!;what...!

Definition: What: A word referring to something. An interrogative word used to ask about something or a situation.

Table of Content
- Etymology
- Writing
- Synonyms
- Example Phrases

Explanation and Etymology - (何て) nante

The expression 「何て」 (nante) is used in the Japanese language as a way to express surprise, appreciation, or disdain regarding something mentioned earlier. This word has a quite flexible use and can appear in various situations, from expressing astonishment to functioning as a connector in more complex sentences.

Etymologically, 「何て」 combines the kanji 「何」 (nani), which means "what," with the particle 「て」 (te), which in this context serves to connect the main expression to the speaker's feeling. Radicals associated with 「何」 include elements such as "person" and "interrogative," promoting the idea of questioning or astonishment. The combination of these elements aims to intensify the emotion or characteristic of what is being commented on.

In practice, we find 「何て」 inserted in sentences to emphasize characteristics or events emphatically. Common examples would be in the expression of emotions such as surprise or fascination, as seen in everyday situations. The expression is also similar to something like "what" or "like" in other languages, facilitating the construction of sentences that emphasize the generated content. It's worth highlighting variations such as "何てこと" (nante koto), which reinforce an even stronger feeling of astonishment!

Historically, similar words to 「何て」 emerged in ancient Japanese, when the language was evolving to incorporate expressive forms that reflected the culture and social hierarchy of the time. This evolution was driven by the need for more effective communication, integrating emotional nuances in both everyday and formal speech. Today, 「何て」 continues to represent a strong emotional touch in the language, facilitating expressions of surprise and admiration in social interactions.

How to Write in Japanese - (何て) nante

See below a step-by-step guide on how to write the word by hand in Japanese (何て) nante:

Synonyms and similar words

There are different ways of expressing the idea of "What: A word referring to something. An interrogative word used to ask about something or a situation." in the Japanese language.

A way of saying "like what...!" é "(何て) nante".

Below is a list of Japanese words that have the same meaning or are a variation of the word. "(何て) nante":

何と (nanto) - How; what; what (used to express surprise or admiration)
なんて (nante) - How; what; what (used to belittle or express disbelief)
なにて (nanite) - What; used in a context of questioning or doubt.

SEARCH FOR MORE WORDS WITH THE SAME MEANING

Words related to: 何て

See also other related words from our dictionary:

何で

Kana: なんで

Romaji: nande

Meaning:

Why?; For what?

何でも

Kana: なんでも

Romaji: nandemo

Meaning:

by all means; all

何と

Kana: なんと

Romaji: nanto

Meaning:

what; as; everything that

何とも

Kana: なんとも

Romaji: nantomo

Meaning:

nothing (with black. verb); very; not a little

何なり

Kana: なんなり

Romaji: nannari

Meaning:

any; anything; everything that

何も

Kana: なにも

Romaji: nanimo

Meaning:

anything

色々

Kana: いろいろ

Romaji: iroiro

Meaning:

several

Words with the same pronunciation: なんて nante

Example Sentences - (何て) nante

Below are some example sentences:

このプロジェクトのテーマは何ですか？

Kono purojekuto no tēma wa nan desu ka?

What is the theme of this project?

この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this one"
プロジェクト - noun meaning "project"
の - particle indicating possession or relationship
テーマ - noun meaning "theme"
は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
ですか - polite way to ask in Japanese

私の生年月日は何ですか？

Watashi no seinen gappi wa nan desu ka?

What is my date of birth?

私 - Japanese personal pronoun meaning "I"
の - Japanese particle indicating possession or relationship
生年月日 - Japanese compound noun meaning "date of birth"
は - Japanese particle indicating the subject of the sentence
何 - Japanese interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
ですか - Japanese expression indicating a polite question

根気があれば何でもできる。

Konki ga areba nandemo dekiru

with perseverance

You can do anything if you're patient.

根気 (konki) - perseverance, patience
が (ga) - subject particle
あれば (areba) - if any
何でも (nan demo) - anything, everything
できる (dekiru) - be able to do, achieve

彼の好きな食べ物は何ですか？

Kare no suki na tabemono wa nan desu ka?

What is his favorite food?

What's your favourite food?

彼の - his
好きな - adjective "favorite"
食べ物 - Noun "food"
は - topic particle
何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
ですか - interrogative particle

将来の夢は何ですか？

Shourai no yume wa nan desu ka?

What is your dream for the future?

What is your future dream?

将来 (shourai) - future
の (no) - possession particle
夢 (yume) - dream
は (wa) - topic particle
何 (nani) - what
ですか (desu ka) - polite way of asking

このプロジェクトの成功の基準は何ですか？

Kono purojekuto no seikō no kijun wa nan desu ka?

What is the success criterion of this project?

What are the successful criteria for this project?

この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this"
プロジェクト - noun meaning "project"
の - possessive particle that indicates ownership or belonging
成功 - noun meaning "success"
の - possessive particle that indicates ownership or belonging
基準 - noun meaning "criterion" or "standard"
は - topic particle indicating the main subject of the sentence
何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
です - auxiliary verb indicating a polite or polished way of speaking
か - interrogative particle indicating a question
？ - punctuation mark indicating a question

この箱の中身は何ですか？

Kono hako no nakami wa nan desu ka?

What is the contents of this box?

この - demonstrative indicating proximity, "this"
箱 - noun meaning "box"
の - particle indicating possession, "da"
中身 - noun meaning "content"
は - particle indicating the topic of the sentence, "about"
何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
ですか - an expression that indicates a polite question, "what is it?"

この問題の解答は何ですか？

Kono mondai no kaitō wa nan desu ka?

What is the answer to this problem?

この - demonstrative indicating proximity, in this case "this"
問題 - noun meaning "problem"
の - particle indicating possession, in this case "of"
解答 - noun meaning "answer" or "solution"
は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "about"
何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
です - verb "to be" in polite form
か - particle that indicates a question

この本のジャンルは何ですか？

Kono hon no janru wa nan desu ka?

What is the genre of this book?

この - demonstrative meaning "this"
本 - noun meaning "book"
の - possessive particle indicating that the book belongs to someone or something
ジャンル - noun meaning "gender"
は - particle that marks the topic of the sentence
何 - interrogative pronoun meaning "what"
です - verb "to be" in polite form
か - interrogative particle indicating a question

このものは何ですか？

Kono mono wa nan desu ka?

What is it?

What is this thing?

この - demonstrative pronoun "this"
もの - noun "thing"
は - topic particle
何 - interrogative pronoun "what"
です - verb "to be" in polite form
か - interrogative particle

Other words of the same type: noun

See other words from our dictionary that are also: noun