English–Japanese

“kind of” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajinanka

Example

なんか変です。na n ka hen de su

It's kind of strange.

Illustration for なんか (kind of)

How to say “kind of” in Japanese

“Kind of” in Japanese is なんか (nanka).

Signals an approximate instance or degree while leaving the exact person, thing, or quality unspecified.

Full entry for なんか: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with なんか

今日はなんか疲れています。kyō wa na n ka tsuka re te i ma su

I feel kind of tired today.

Tips for using なんか

  • In casual conversation, なんか (nanka) can also work as a filler before a new thought, as in なんかさ (nanka sa), so translating every occurrence as "kind of" can miss its discourse role.

“kind of” in other languages