What is the difference between "nani ka" and "nani ga"? (Japanese)?

Question

I'm always and forever will be confuse unless I dont get a clear answer of the difference between "何か" & "何が".

For example: "君は何かできる？" & "君は何ができる？"

Please give me a super clear and easy to understand explanation on these "nani ka" and "nani ga".

Answer 1

nanika means 'something' or 'anything'.

nani ga means 'what...' where this unknown is the subject of the sentence. Ga is a subject marker, ka is usually a question marker but can be added to certain words (like nani, dare, etc) to change their meaning slightly. Nani = what, nanika = something. Dare = who, dareka = someone.



Nani ga arimasu ka? = What is there?/What do you have?

Nanika ga arimasu ka? = Do you have something?

Nani desu ka? = What is it?



Your sentences say 'can you do something?' and 'what can you do?'.

Answer 2

No, I don't think that you would need to use "nani" in your reply. If "this" is what you are doing then you would say I am doing this. "Kore wo shitemasu." Nani is an unknown thing. So if I say that I am doing this thing and you can see it (this thing) then I am doing this. and not an unknown thing such as "nani" Suppose that the thing I am doing is a thing for which you have no name, then nani could be applied (you asking me): Hirame san ga shite iru no wa nan desu ka? or .... wa nanto iimasu ka? " What is it that you are doing?" "What do you call ..." Maybe I could reply with a name or something of an explaination. Or I could say: "I cannot explain what I am doing." watashi ga shite iru no wo setsumei ga dekimasen. Or watashi ga shite iru koto wo setsumei ga dekimasen. In this case "no" or "koto" takes the place of "nani" (thing)

Answer 3

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RE:

What is the difference between "nani ka" and "nani ga"? (Japanese)?

I'm always and forever will be confuse unless I dont get a clear answer of the difference between "何か" & "何が".



For example: "君は何かできる？" & "君は何ができる？"



Please give me a super clear and easy to understand explanation on these "nani ka" and...

Answer 4

Nani Meaning