何

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 何 is an interrogative for a thing or content and combines with a following particle.
• Basic usage: In 朝ご飯に何を食べますか。, it asks what food someone eats.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Readings in context
  • Read 何を as なにを and 何が as なにが. 何ですか is なんですか, and 何時 asking the time is なんじ.
• Means and reason
  • In 何で行きますか, なにで can be used when asking about transportation. なんで can also ask a reason, so consider the intended question and context as well as the spelling.
• Indefinite expressions
  • In 何か食べますか, 何か is read なにか and asks whether someone will eat something. The range of answers differs from 何を食べますか, which directly asks what will be eaten.