At a glance
～なんか means "things like" or "something like". It is used to give a soft example, or to downplay something, either modestly (about yourself) or dismissively (about something you dislike).
Noun + なんか
お茶なんかどうですか。 How about some tea or something?
How to form it
| Use | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft example or suggestion | Noun + なんか | お茶なんかどうですか。 | How about tea or something? |
| Modesty (about yourself) | Noun + なんか | 私なんかまだまだです。 | I still have a long way to go. |
| Dismissing something | Noun + なんか | 宿題なんかしたくない。 | I don't want to do homework or anything. |
| "Somehow, kind of" (casual adverb) | なんか + Verb / Adjective | 今日はなんか疲れた。 | I'm kind of tired today. |
- After a noun, なんか usually replaces が and を: 宿題なんかしたくない.
- The "somehow" なんか is an adverb. It comes before the verb or adjective.
- なんか is spoken and fairly casual.