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Interrogative + か・でも Posted by on Apr 20, 2010 in Grammar

The use of the interrogative なに (what) + can mean “something” or “anything” :

何か飲みませんか = Would you like to drink anything/something?

(なにか/何か = anything/something. のみませんす/飲みませんます = would you like to drink. = question marking particle)

だれ (who) + can mean “someone” :

誰かをお待ちですか = Are you waiting for someone?

(だれか/誰か = someone. = particle. = honorific prefix. まちです/待ちです = wait. = question marking particle)

なぜ (why, how) + can mean “somehow” or “for some reason” :

なぜか町田さんがすきじゃありません = For some reason I don’t like Mr. Machida

(なぜか = somehow. まちだ/町田 = Machida. さん = Mr. = ga particle. すきじゃありません = don’t like)

いつ (when) + でも = anytime, whenever

いつでもいいですよ = Whenever/anytime is good/ok

(いつでも = whenever. いい = good. です = is. = emphatic particle.)

なん (what) + でも = anything/everything/whatever

何でも食べますよ = I will eat everything

(なんでも/何でも = everything. たべます/食べます = will eat. = emphatic particle)

The general rule is : an interrogative + will mean something, someone, sometime etc. but an interrogative + でも will mean anything/everything/whatever/anyone/whoever/anytime/whenever, depending on the interrogative word.

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