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なんという / なんと/ なんて
N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today
nan to iu / nanto / nante
how (beautiful, etc.); what a ~
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なんという / なんと/ なんて
nan to iu / nanto / nante
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how (beautiful, etc.); what a ~
N1
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📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading nan to iu / nanto / nante
Post ID 51284
Patterns today 0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes

how (beautiful, etc.); what a ~

📖 How to use it

Expresses admiration or surprise at the degree of a quality, like 'how' or 'what a'.

Attaches to なんという attaches to a noun phrase (possibly preceded by an adjective). なんと attaches to a noun phrase or a nominalized clause, often followed by ことか/ことだろう. なんて attaches to an adjective (including adjectival nouns) or a noun phrase, and often precedes the predicate.

These three forms all express a strong emotional reaction, usually admiration or astonishment, at the degree of something. They are often used in exclamatory sentences. The nuance differs: なんという is slightly more formal and literary, often used with a noun to say 'what a ~'. なんと is also somewhat formal, used before a noun or nominalized phrase (often with ことか/ことだろう), and often appears in written narratives. なんて is more colloquial and can also carry a sense of personal feeling, sometimes even slight contempt, depending on context. All are common in exclamations where the sentence may end with だろう or でしょう, or with a particle like か, but they can also stand alone.

なんという美しい夕日だろう。
Nan to iu utsukushii yuuhi darou.
What a beautiful sunset!
なんと素晴らしい演奏だったことだろう。
Nanto subarashii ensou datta koto darou.
How wonderful that performance was!
なんて親切な人なんだ。
Nante shinsetsu na hito na n da.
What a kind person!
Not なんて as in 'such a thing as' (e.g., なんてことはない), and なんか In the exclamatory sense, なんて is used before adjectives/nouns with emotional emphasis. The 'such a thing as' なんて is used after a noun to express dismissal or contempt (e.g., 勉強なんて嫌い). なんか is similar to the dismissive なんて but more casual.
Register All are used in both speech and writing, but なんという and なんと lean formal/literary; なんて is casual and common in everyday conversation.
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なんという / なんと/ なんて
📚 How to Master This Pattern
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Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat なんという / なんと/ なんて three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
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Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using なんという / なんと/ なんて. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
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Spaced Review
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern なんという / なんと/ なんて mean? ▼
How (beautiful, etc.); what a ~
What JLPT level is なんという / なんと/ なんて? ▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use なんという / なんと/ なんて in a sentence? ▼
Attach なんという / なんと/ なんて (nan to iu / nanto / nante) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is なんという / なんと/ なんて formal or casual Japanese? ▼
なんという / なんと/ なんて is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember なんという / なんと/ なんて long-term? ▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.