なんて
Such as, Things like, Emphasis
Structure
[い]Adjective + なんて
[な]Adjective + なんて
Noun + なんて(1)
(1) なんか
Explanation
なんか is a conversational expression that is closely linked to the adverbial particle など. In many situations, their meanings are interchangeable, and なんか is sometimes classified as an adverbial particle itself. なんて is a related expression, often thought of as a shortened form of phrases like などという, which means 'to say something like'.
Both なんか and なんて function similarly to など, translating to phrases like 'such as' or 'things like'. The main distinction lies in their usage with different word types. なんて is far more likely to appear after 用言 (words that conjugate), which includes verbs, い-Adjectives, and な-Adjectives. Conversely, なんか is predominantly used after 体言 (words that do not conjugate), which essentially means nouns.
- あんなに辛いものを食べるなんて、信じられないよ。To do something like eat food that spicy... I can't believe it.
- この映画がこんなに悲しいなんて知らなかった。I had no idea this movie was so sad.
- 冗談なんて言っている時間はないよ。We don't have time for things like jokes.
- 宿題なんかあとでやればいいよ。Stuff like homework can be done later.
Despite the general tendency regarding 体言 and 用言, most native speakers would not consider it wrong to interchange なんか and なんて with any class of word.Fun Fact
Both なんか and なんて are frequently used to express a low opinion or to downplay the word they modify. This can be perceived as humility when referring to oneself, or as a slight when directed at someone else.
- 僕なんか料理は全然だめですよ。妻の方がずっと上手です。When it comes to me, my cooking is terrible. My wife is much better at it. (Humility)
- あいつなんて絶対に約束を守らないよ。A guy like him will never keep his promise. (Insult)
You should not let this nuance prevent you from using なんか or なんて, as in modern spoken Japanese, they are often used simply as filler words to bridge pauses in conversation.
- きのうの夜、なんか、あまり眠れなかったんだ。Last night, like, I just couldn't really sleep well.
Examples
ピーマンなんか大嫌い。
I can't stand things like green peppers.
彼が結婚したなんて、信じられない。
I can't believe that he actually got married.
お金なんかなくても、幸せになれる。
You can be happy even without things like money.
私に料理なんて作れません。
I'm not capable of doing something like cooking.
仕事を辞めるなんて、本気ですか。
Quitting your job... are you really serious?
約束なんて、あってないようなものだ。
Things like promises are basically meaningless.
あんな失礼な人と話すなんて、ごめんだ。
I refuse to do something like talk to a rude person like that.
子供のケンカなんか放っておけばいい。
You can just ignore something like a kids' fight.
幽霊なんかいるわけないでしょう。
There's no way something like a ghost actually exists.
お礼なんていりませんよ。
There's really no need to thank me for anything.
一人で海外旅行に行くなんて、すごい勇気だね。
Going on an overseas trip by yourself... that's incredibly brave.
彼の言うことなんか聞く必要はない。
There's no need to listen to anything he has to say.