What in Japanese
"what" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
何
nani
4 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "what". The most common choice is shown first.
Which one to use
何 is what, the question word. 那 and 奈 are chosen for their sound rather than their meaning and appear mostly in names and transliterations. For asking a question, 何 is the only one you want.
Top pick
what
Reading: ka
7 strokes
Where it comes from
Composed of '人' (person) and '可'. A person asking about something.
What it carries
Question, inquiry, curiosity. Represents the attitude of questioning the essence of things.
Related kanji for "what"
what
na
Composed of phonetic and village. That village.
what
na
Composed of big and altar. Big altar.
what
sai
Composed of phonetic and mouth. Exclamation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for what?
The most common kanji for "what" is 何, read as ka. It means what. Related kanji: 那 (what), 奈 (what), 哉 (what).
How many strokes does 何 have?
何 has 7 strokes.