90196
I know that なんか means "something" or that it can be used as filler. But in
these two sentences it seems to be using another meaning.

• 東京に行くけど、なんか欲しいものある？

• なにか食べたいものはある?

Doesn't "もの" already carry the meaning of "something"?

Could you also say: 東京に行くけど、何か欲しいの? Or 東京に行くけど、欲しいものある？
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T04:37:33.323
90195
2021-09-04T08:23:40.357
39755
question
grammar translation word-choice
What is なんか doing in these sentences?
The basic meaning of もの is just _thing_ rather than _something_. なにか/なんか adds
the nuance of "seeking" (i.e., you are trying to find/identify something that
fits the criteria).

  * 飲むもの things to drink, beverage
  * 何か飲むもの something to drink
  * 食べたいもの things you want to eat
  * 何か食べたいもの something you want to eat
  * 怖いもの a/the scary being (may be already identified)
  * 何か怖いもの something scary (unidentified)

In your examples, 何か is not strictly necessary, but it's often desirable. On
the other hand, you cannot use 何か when you already know what the もの refers to:

  * 持っているものを見せなさい。  
Shoe me the thing you have.

  * 私は食べたいものを食べます。  
I eat (any)thing I want to eat.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-04T05:06:06.747
90196
2021-09-04T08:23:40.357
2021-09-04T08:23:40.357
5010
5010
90195
answer