Japanese Grammar: ~なんか / ~なんて (Emphasis)

Grammar

Sentence Pattern: Noun + なんか / Noun + なんて

Sentence Pattern: Noun+nanka/Noun+nante

Grammar Explanation: Expresses Disdain or Belittlement while Emphasizing the Previous Noun

Ex.: あなたなんか(なんて)大きらい!

Rm.: Anata nanka (nante) daikirai!

En.: I really hate you!

Ex.: かれうことなんか(なんて)うそきままってます!

Rm.: Kare ga iu koto nanka (nante) uso ni kimatte masu!
En.: What he says must be a lie!

Sentence Pattern: Noun + なんか (things like ~)

Sentence Pattern: Noun + nanka

Grammar Explanation: things like ~ (Giving examples)

Ex.: コンビニではからげなんかもっています。

Rm.: Konbini de wa karaage nanka mo utte imasu.
En.: Convenience stores also sell things like fried chicken.

Ex.: ワインなんかみながらゆっくりおはなししましょう。

Rm.: Wain nanka nominagara yukkuri ohanashi shimashou.
En.: Let’s have a leisurely chat over some wine.

Sentence Pattern: なんて + I-Adjective (い) + んでしょう (んだろう)!

Sentence Pattern: nante + I-Adjective (i) + ndeしょshou (ndarou)!

Grammar Explanation: How ~! / What a ~!

Ex.: かれえんそうはなんてらしいんだろう!

Rm.: Kare no ensou wa nante subarashii ndarou!
En.: What a wonderful performance he gave!

Sentence Pattern: なんて + Na-Adjective (な) + んでしょう (んだろう)!

Sentence Pattern: nante + Na-Adjective (na) + ndeしょshou (ndarou)!

Grammar Explanation: How ~! / What a ~!

Ex.: ヘリコプターからけいはなんてきれいなんだろう!

Rm.: Herikoputaa kara miru yakei wa nante kirei nandarou!
En.: How beautiful the night view is from a helicopter!

Sentence Pattern: なんて + Noun + なんでしょう (なんだろう)!

Sentence Pattern: nante + Noun + nandeしょshou (nandarou)!

Grammar Explanation: How ~! / What a ~!

Ex.: ここはなんてさみしいところなんでしょう!

Rm.: Koko wa nante sabishii tokoro nan deshou!
En.: What a lonely place this is!

Sentence Pattern: Plain Form + なんて言います (say ~ / said ~)

Sentence Pattern: Plain Form + nanteiimasu (say ~ / said ~)

Grammar Explanation: say ~ / said ~ (emphasizing the content of what someone says)

Ex.: むすきゅうがっこうきたくないなんてして、とてもこまっています。

Rm.: Musuko ga kyuu ni gakkou e ikitakunai nante iidashite, totemo komatte imasu.
En.: My son suddenly said he didn’t want to go to school, and I’m really worried.

Ex.: かのじょぜったいけっこんしないなんてってたくせに、せんげつけっこんしたそうですよ。

Rm.: Kanojo wa zettai kekkon shinai nante itteta kuse ni, sengetsu kekkon shita sou desu yo.
En.: She said she would never get married, but she got married last month.

Ex.: なかさんはあのみせはまずいなんてってたけど、このまえべにったらとってもおいしかったです。

Rm.: Tanaka-san wa ano mise wa mazui nante itteta kedo, kono mae tabe ni ittara tottemo oishikatta desu.
En.: Tanaka said that restaurant was bad, but when I went there the other day, the food was really delicious.

Ex.: かれかりめんのテストなんてかんたんだなんてっていたくせに、ごうかくだったそうですよ。

Rm.: Kare wa karimen no tesuto nante kantan da nante itteita kuse ni, fugoukaku datta sou desu yo.
En.: He said the learner’s permit test was easy, but apparently he failed it.

Ex.: やまくんくんしつれんしてぼくじんせいはもうおわりだなんてってたのに、あたしいかのじょができたとたんきゅうげんになりました。

Rm.: Yamada-kun wa shitsuren shite “boku no jinsei wa mou owari da” nante itteta noni, atarashii kanojo ga dekita totan, kyuu ni genki ni narimashita.
En.: Yamada-kun said that his life was over after his breakup, but as soon as he got a new girlfriend, he suddenly cheered up.

Sentence Pattern: Plain Form + なんて思います (think ~ / thought ~)

Sentence Pattern: Plain Form + nanteomoimasu (think ~ / thought ~)

Grammar Explanation: think ~ / thought ~ (emphasizing the content of one’s thoughts)

Ex.: あやまればゆるしてもらえるなんておもってるならおおきなちがいよ!

Rm.: Ayamereba yurushite moraeru nante omotteru nara ōkina machigai yo!
En.: If you think you’ll be forgiven just because you apologize, you’re seriously mistaken!

Ex.: おかねくなったらおやたよればいいなんておもってるんじゃないでしょうね。

Rm.: Okane ga nakunattara oya ni tayoreba ii nante omotterun janai deshō ne.
En.: You don’t think you can just rely on your parents when you run out of money, do you?

Ex.: しょうテストだからかんたんだなんておもっていたらダメですよ。

Rm.: Syo-tesuto dakara kantan da nante omotteitara dame desu yo.
En.: You shouldn’t think that it’s easy just because it’s only a quiz.

Ex.: かれをいいひとだなんておもってるひとだれもいません。

Rm.: Kare o ii hito da nante omotteru hito wa dare mo imasen.
En.: No one thinks that he is a good person.

Sentence Pattern: Plain Form +なんて、~。

Sentence Pattern: Plain Form + nante、~。

Explanation: “It’s just so ~ / It’s really ~” (emphasizing the speaker’s feelings and evaluation)

Ex.: こんなやすきゅうりょうはたらくなんてほんとう鹿鹿しい!

Rm.: Konna yasui kyuryo de majime ni hataraku nante honto ni bakabakashii!
En.: Working hard for such a low salary is just ridiculous!

Ex.: こんなたかくるまえるなんて、ほんとううらやましいです!

Rm.: Konna takai kuruma ga kaeru nante, honto ni urayamashii desu!
En.: I’m so jealous that you can afford such an expensive car!

Ex.: こんなおいしいケーキをべないなんて、いっしょうこうかいしますよ。

Rm.: Konna oishii ke-ki o tabenai nante, issho kokaishimasu yo.
En.: If you don’t eat such a delicious cake, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

Ex.: あんなひとこっかいいんだなんて、しんじられません!

Rm.: Anna hito ga kokkai giin da nante, shinjiraremasen!
En.: I can’t believe someone like that is a member of the Diet!

Japanese Grammar (日本語文法)
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