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

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

Sentence Pattern: Noun+なnaんnかka/Noun+なnaんnてte

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

Ex.: あなたなんか(なんて)大嫌きらい!

Rm.: Anata nanka (nante) daikirai!

En.: I really hate you!

Ex.: 彼かれが言いうことなんか(なんて)嘘うそに決きままってます!

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 + なnaんnかka

Grammar Explanation: things like ~ (Giving examples)

Ex.: コンビニでは唐から揚あげなんかも売うっています。

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

Ex.: ワインなんか飲のみながらゆっくりお話はなししましょう。

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: なnaんnてte + I-Adjective (いi) + んnでdeしょshoうu (んnだdaろroうu)!

Grammar Explanation: How ~! / What a ~!

Ex.: 彼かれの演えん奏そうはなんて素す晴ばらしいんだろう!

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: なnaんnてte + Na-Adjective (なna) + んnでdeしょshoうu (んnだdaろroうu)!

Grammar Explanation: How ~! / What a ~!

Ex.: ヘリコプターから見みる夜や景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: なnaんnてte + Noun + なnaんnでdeしょshoうu (なnaんnだdaろroうu)!

Grammar Explanation: How ~! / What a ~!

Ex.: ここはなんて寂さみしい所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 + なnaんnてte言iいiまmaすsu (say ~ / said ~)

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

Ex.: 息むす子こが急きゅうに学がっ校こうへ行いきたくないなんて言いい出だして、とても困こまっています。

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.: 彼かの女じょは絶ぜっ対たい結けっ婚こんしないなんて言いってたくせに、先せん月げつ結けっ婚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.: 田た中なかさんはあの店みせはまずいなんて言いってたけど、この前まえ食たべに行い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.: 彼かれは仮かり免めんのテストなんて簡かん単たんだなんて言いっていたくせに、不ふ合ごう格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.: 山やま田だ君くんくんは失しつ恋れんして僕ぼくの人じん生せいはもう終おわりだなんて言いってたのに、新あたしい彼かの女じょができたとたん急きゅうに元げん気きになりました。

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 + なnaんnてte思omoいiまmaすsu (think ~ / thought ~)

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

Ex.: 謝あやまれば許ゆるしてもらえるなんて思おもってるなら大おおきな間ま違ちがいよ!

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.: お金かねが無なくなったら親おやに頼たよればいいなんて思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.: 小しょうテストだから簡かん単たんだなんて思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.: 彼かれをいい人ひとだなんて思おもってる人ひとは誰だれもいません。

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 + なnaんnてte、~。

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

Ex.: こんな安やすい給きゅう料りょうで真ま面じ目めに働はたらくなんて本ほん当とうに馬ば鹿か馬ば鹿かしい!

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

Ex.: こんな高たかい車くるまが買かえるなんて、本ほん当とうに羨うらやましいです!

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食たべないなんて、一いっ生しょう後こう悔かいしますよ。

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.: あんな人ひとが国こっ会かい議ぎ員いんだなんて、信しんじられません!

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)
Learn essential Japanese grammar for daily conversations with clear explanations, examples, illustrations, and English translations. Study Minna no Nihongo grammar for JLPT N4–N5.
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