2.18. 何 nani/nan ‘what’
The word meaning ‘what’ is usually expressed by nan before a word beginning with t, d, or n, and nani before other words. However, nan- ‘how many’ never has the shape nani-.
何ですか。
Nan desu ka.
What is it?
何と言いましたか。
Nan to iimashita ka.
What did (he) say?
何の本ですか。
Nan no hon desu ka.
What book is it?
何がありますか。
Nani ga arimasu ka.
What is there? What do you have?
何をしていますか。
Nani o shite imasu ka.
What are you doing?
CDが何枚ありますか。
Shī dī ga nan-mai arimasu ka.
How many CDs do you have?
本が何冊ありますか。
Hon ga nan-satsu arimasu ka.
How many books are there?
|
|
| [cue 02-3] |
Conversation
Emi (E) is a member of a rock band formed in her college. She shows a photo of the members to Masahiro (M).
M: これは恵美さんですか。
Kore wa Emi-san desu ka.
Is this you, Emi?
E: ええ。
Ē.
Yes.
M: ぜんぜん違いますね。
Zenzen chigaimasu ne.
Look so different.
E: そうですか。
Sō desu ka.
Really?
M: この人はだれですか。
Kono hito wa dare desu ka.
Who is this person?
E: 洋介です。ギタリストです。
Yōsuke desu. Gitarisuto desu.
Yosuke. He is a guitarist.
M: かっこいいですね。同じ大学の学生ですか。
Kakko ii desu ne. Onaji daigaku no gakusei desu ka.
He is cool, isn’t he? Is he a student in the same college?
E: ええ。
Ē.
Yes.
M: じゃあ、この人は？
Jā, kono hito wa?
Okay, then. Who is this person?
E: ベーシストの拓也です。
Bēshisuto no Takuya desu.
He is Takuya, the bassist.
M: ドラマーはだれ？
Doramā wa dare?
Who is the drummer?
E: 私。
Watashi.
Me.
Exercises
* Do it aloud; don’t write the answers down.
I. For each situation illustrated below, choose which word the speaker would use, kore, sore, are, or dore.
II. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate particles.
1. あの建物——何ですか。 Ano tatemono —— nan desu ka. What is that building?
2. 私——学生です。 Watashi —— gakusei desu. I’m a student.
3. 私——本です。 Watashi —— hon desu. It’s my book.
4. 新聞はテーブル——下にあります。 Shinbun wa tēburu —— shita ni arimasu. The newspaper is under the table.
5. どれ——あなたのですか。 Dore —— anata no desu ka. Which one is yours?
III. Choose the appropriate item in the parentheses.
1. (あれ・あの）は富士山です。 (Are, ano) wa Fujisan desu. That’s Mt. Fuji.
2. (これ・この）カメラはだれのですか。 (Kore, kono) kamera wa dare no desu ka. Whose camera is this?
3. 「それは何ですか。」「（それ・これ）はカメラです。」 “Sore wa nan desu ka.” “(Sore, kore) wa kamera desu.” “What is that?” “It’s a camera.”
4. 郵便局は（あれ・あそこ）にあります。 Yūbinkyoku wa (are, asoko) ni arimasu. The post office is over there.
5. 銀行は（あれ・あの）です。 Ginkō wa (are, ano) desu. The bank is that one over there.
IV. Fill in the blanks with one of the words です desu, あります arimasu, or います imasu.
1. あなたは学生———か。 Anata wa gakusei ——— ka. Are