Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
Introduction
Want to say things like:
- “I want to eat something.”
- “I didn’t buy anything.”
- “I went somewhere last weekend.”
- “I didn’t go anywhere.”
In this lesson, we’ll learn how to express these ideas using:
- 何か（なにか） = something
- 何も（なにも） = not… anything
- どこかに = somewhere
- どこにも = not… anywhere
Meaning
何か（なにか）・何も（なにも）
In Japanese, 何か means “something,” while 何も means “not…anything” when used with a negative verb.
| type | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| positive statements | 何か（なにか） | something |
| questions | 何か（なにか） | anything? |
| negative statements | 何も （なにも）+ negative | not … anything |
Example:
- 何か（なにか）たべたいです。= I want to eat something.
- スーパーで何か（なにか）買いましたか。 = Did you buy anything at the supermarket?
- いいえ、何も（なにも）買いませんでした。= No, I did not buy anything.
どこかに・どこにも
“どこかに” means “somewhere” and “どこにも” means “not anywhere” or “nowhere” used with a negative verb. These expressions are used to talk about indefinite locations in Japanese.
| type | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| positive statements | どこかに | somewhere |
| questions | どこかに | anywhere? |
| negative statements | どこにも | not … anywhere |
Example:
- 週末、どこかに行きたいです。= I want to go somewhere this weekend.
- 週末、どこかに行きますか。= Are you going anywhere this weekend?
- いいえ、どこにも行きません。= No, I am not going anywhere.
Sentence Structure
何か（なにか）・何も（なにも）
To use 何か and 何も in sentences, place 何か before a verb in a positive sentence to mean “something.”
Example: デパートで何か買いましたか。= Did you buy anything at a department store?
Also place 何も before a verb in a negative sentence to mean “not…anything.”
Example: デパートで何も買いませんでした。= I did not buy anything at a department store.
どこかに・どこにも
To express indefinite locations in Japanese, place “どこかに” before a verb in a positive sentence to mean “somewhere” or “anywhere”.
Example: 週末、どこかに行きたいです。= I want to go somewhere this weekend.
Also place “どこにも” before a verb in a negative sentence to mean “not anywhere” or “nowhere”.
Example: 週末、どこにも行きませんでした。= I did not go anywhere last weekend.
Omission of object particles
Note that with 何か, the object particles are usually omitted.
- を (object marker)
- ✅ 何か食べましょうか。= Shall we eat something?
- ▲ 何かを食べましょうか。- This sentence is not entirely wrong, but it is somewhat unfamiliar to native Japanese.
- が (subject marker)
- そこに何か（が）います。= There’s something there.
Some particles are important to show location, direction, and context, so they are not normally omitted.
- で (place/action context)
- 私たち、どこかで会いましたか。= Have we met somewhere before?
- You never say “私たち、どこか会いましたか”
Practice Time
Try answering the following using today’s grammar!
- 今月、何か買いましたか。 = Did you buy anything this month?
- きのう、どこかに行きましたか。 = Did you go anywhere yesterday?
Example Answers:
- はい、Tシャツを買いました。= Yes, I bought a T-shirt.
いいえ、何も買いませんでした。= No, I did not buy anything. - はい、図書館に行きました。= Yes, I went to the library.
いいえ、どこにも行きませんでした。= No, it did not go anywhere.
FAQ
- QWhat is the difference between 「何か」(nanika) and 「何でも」(nandemo)?
- A
何か (nanika): Means “something” (an unspecified thing). Used in positive sentences and questions.
Example: 何か食べたいです。(Nanika tabetai desu.) = I want to eat something.何でも (nandemo): Means “anything” (any item from a group is okay) or “everything” depending on context. Used with positive verbs.
Example: 何でも食べられます。(Nandemo taberaremasu.) = I can eat anything.
- QCan the particle 「を」(o) be omitted after 「何か」(nanika) or 「何も」(nanimo)?
- A
Yes. In spoken Japanese, the particle 「を」 is very frequently omitted after 「何か」 or 「何も」 when they function as direct objects.
Example: 何か（を）飲みたいです。= I want to drink something.
- QBesides 「どこかに」(dokoka ni), can other particles (like 「で」「へ」「から」「と」) be used with 「どこか」(dokoka)?
- A
Yes, absolutely. どこか + Particle:
- わたしたち、どこかで会いましたか。 = Have we met somewhere?
- もうすぐGWなので、どこかへ行きたいです。 = It is almost Golden Week (= a vacation week in May) and I want to go somewhere.
- QAre there similar patterns for “someone” / “anyone” / “no one” and “sometime” / “anytime” / “never”?
- A
Yes, these follow the same pattern using 「だれ」(dare – who) :
- だれか (dareka): someone / anyone (in questions)
だれか来ましたか。= Did someone come? - だれも (daremo) + Negative Verb: no one / not… anyone
だれも来ませんでした。= No one came. - だれにも + Negative Verb: not… to anyone
だれにも言いませんでした。= I didn’t tell anyone (about it).
- だれか (dareka): someone / anyone (in questions)
- QWhat’s the difference between questions with 何 and questions with 何か? How do you answer them?
- A
Questions with 何 are wh-word questions (“what?”). The speaker is asking you to name the specific thing, so you answer by replacing 何 with the actual item.
A: 今朝、何を食べましたか。= What did you eat this morning?
B: おにぎりを食べました。= I ate rice balls.Questions with 何か are yes/no questions (“did you eat something?”). The speaker is asking whether something happened / whether there was anything, not what it was (at least not in the first step). So you typically answer with はい / いいえ, and then you can add details if needed.
A: 今朝、何か食べましたか。= Did you eat anything this morning?
B1: はい、おにぎりを食べました。= Yes, I ate an onigiri.
B2: いいえ、何も食べませんでした。= No, I didn’t eat anything.
Conclusion
Mastering nanika, nanimo, dokoka ni, and doko ni mo helps you sound more natural and handle a wider range of daily conversations in Japanese.
Now you can say things like:
- “I want to eat something.”
- “I didn’t buy anything.”
- “I went somewhere last weekend.”
- “I didn’t go anywhere.”
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
