“〜nante”: …of all things / How…! (surprise, disdain, exclamation) [JLPT N4]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
“Konna ni muzukashii nante shiranakatta” “Benkyō nante shitakunai” — emotionally colored emphasis
One 「なんて」, two opposite feelings
「日本語がこんなに難しいなんて！」(Japanese is this hard?!)
「勉強なんてしたくない。」(Studying? No thanks.)
Same 「なんて」 — one is the surprise of “I had no idea!”, the other the scorn of “that stuff…”. It's an emotionally charged colloquial particle: one word, and tone plus context decide whether it's delight or disdain. This guide separates the two feelings cleanly.
Which is it: surprise or scorn?
Look at what feeling follows 「なんて」:
- Followed by 「知らなかった / 信じられない / ！」 → surprise, the unexpected (“I never thought…”).
- Followed by 「したくない / 興味ない / いらない」 → scorn, dismissal (“that sort of thing, no thanks”).
It also forms exclamations: 「なんて〜んだろう」 (How 〜!). All three share one thing: the speaker has a feeling about what came before.
How to Connect
| Usage | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| surprise | clause / noun ＋ なんて | 合格するなんて！ （To think they passed!） |
| scorn | noun ＋ なんて | 勉強なんて |
| exclamation | なんて＋adj＋んだろう | なんてきれいなんだろう |
Examples with feeling
- 彼があんなに上手だなんて、知らなかった。(I had no idea he was that good.) — surprise
- 日本語がこんなに難しいなんて！(Japanese is this hard?!) — the unexpected
- 宿題なんてやりたくない。(Homework? I don't want to do it.) — scorn
- 私なんて、まだまだです。(Someone like me? I've got a long way to go.) — self-deprecation
- なんて美しい景色なんだろう。(What a beautiful view!) — exclamation
⚠️ Easy traps to avoid
① It's not the question word “what.” That's 「何 (なに)」. 「なんて」 is an emotional particle, not a way to ask “what.”
② Keep it out of formal writing. 「なんて」 is casual; in a report or polite/keigo setting it sounds flippant — use 「など」 or 「とは」 instead.
③ Don't miss the self-deprecating use. 「私なんて…」 isn't putting others down — it's speaking about yourself humbly or dejectedly (“someone like me…”), a nuance learners often overlook.
🔄 Compare with similar forms: なんて / など / なんか / とは
| Expression | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| なんて | colloquial, emotional (surprise/scorn/exclaim) | 勉強なんて |
| など | written, neutral “and so on” | 本などを買う |
| なんか | casual など (dismissive/offhand) | 私なんか |
| 〜とは | written “to think that…” (surprise) | 合格するとは |
💡 How to remember this
Japanese speakers lean on 「なんて」 constantly — to toss out a “No way!” of surprise or a “Yeah, not happening” of dismissal, all in one word full of feeling. Want your Japanese to sound warm and native? Start by dropping a natural 「〜なんて」 into your speech. Just remember to put it away the moment things get formal — switch to 「など・とは」.
❓ Questions you might have
Q: What's the difference between 「なんて」 and 「なんか」?
Both are casual and can express dismissal, and often swap freely (勉強なんて / 勉強なんか). Splitting hairs: 「なんか」 is more offhand and also works as a filler for “somehow” (なんか変), while 「なんて」 carries clearer emotion and can attach to a whole clause for surprise.
Q: Can I use 「なんて」 in formal writing?
Better not to. It's too casual — in formal writing use 「など」 (neutral listing) or 「とは」 (surprise).
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「彼があんなに上手___、知らなかった。」(tone of surprise)
(A) なんて (B) なんか (C) など (D) のに
Q2. 「宿題___やりたくない！」(dismissive tone)
(A) なんて (B) について (C) に関して (D) のために
Q3. Which is NOT a correct use of 「なんて」?
(A) Surprise/exclamation
(B) Disdain/contempt
(C) Exclamatory sentence (なんて〜んだろう)
(D) Indicating time sequence (A first, then B)
Q4. What does 「なんて素晴らしいんだろう」 mean?
(A) So wonderful it's surprising (How wonderful! — an exclamation)
(B) Not wonderful at all (disdain)
(C) The reason it's wonderful
(D) The condition for being wonderful
Q5. What is the difference between 「なんて」 and 「など」?
(A) Exactly the same
(B) なんて is colloquial with emotional color (surprise/disdain); など is written and a neutral enumeration
(C) なんて is written; など is colloquial
(D) なんて attaches to verbs only; など to nouns only
Answer Explanations
1. (A) なんて ── 「あんなに上手なんて知らなかった」; tone of surprise: I didn't realize he was this good.
2. (A) なんて ── 「宿題なんてやりたくない」; dismissive tone: I don't want to do homework and stuff like that at all.
3. (D) Indicating time sequence ── なんて has no “A first, then B” time-sequence function; that is the function of expressions like てから.
4. (A) How wonderful! (an exclamation) ── 「なんて〜んだろう」 is an exclamatory pattern expressing strong exclamation.
5. (B) なんて has emotional color; など is neutral/written ── なんて carries the emotion of surprise or disdain; など is a neutral enumeration, more formal and written.