何か・誰か・どこか・いつか
Something, someone, somewhere, someday
You’ll be able to refer to unspecified people, things, places, and times in conversation.
誰かがドアの前にいます。
dareka ga doa no mae ni imasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
Someone is in front of the door.
Refer to an unspecified thing, person, place, or time
Add か to a question word to make an indefinite expression: 何か “something,” 誰か “someone,” どこか “somewhere,” and いつか “sometime/someday.”
何か食べたいです。
nanika tabetai desu.
I want to eat something.
Question word + か
Attach か directly to the question word. The resulting expression can take another particle if the sentence needs one.
誰かが来ました。
dareka ga kimashita.
Someone came.
どこかに行きたいです。
dokoka ni ikitai desu.
I want to go somewhere.
いつか日本に住みたいです。
itsuka nihon ni sumitai desu.
I want to live in Japan someday.
Keep needed particles after the whole expression
When the role needs a particle, put it after 何か, 誰か, or どこか. In casual speech, some particles such as を may be omitted.
何かを買いましたか。
nanika o kaimashita ka.
Did you buy something?
誰かと話しました。
dareka to hanashimashita.
I talked with someone.
どこかで会いましょう。
dokoka de aimashou.
Let’s meet somewhere.
何 vs 何か vs 何も
Small particle changes completely alter the meaning: 何 asks for a specific item, adding か turns it into a yes/no question about whether you want food at all, and adding も with a negative verb expresses “nothing at all.”
何か, something
何か食べますか。
nanika tabemasu ka.
Will you eat something?
A yes/no question: it asks whether you want food at all. Answer with はい or いいえ.
何, what
何を食べますか。
nani o tabemasu ka.
What will you eat?
An open question asking for a specific dish (e.g. カレーを食べます).
何も, nothing
何も食べません。
nanimo tabemasen.
I won't eat anything.
Paired with a negative verb (食べません) to express total negation: “nothing at all.”
何かを飲みたいです。
nanika o nomitai desu.
I want to drink something.
机の下に何かがあります。
tsukue no shita ni nanika ga arimasu.
There is something under the desk.
朝、何か食べましたか。
asa, nanika tabemashita ka.
Did you eat anything this morning?
9 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.