Nothing, nobody, nowhere: なにも・だれも・どこも
なにも／だれも／どこへも + negative
なにも／だれも／どこ（へ）も + negative verb = nothing, nobody, nowhere.
In short
Question word + も + negative verb = a total negation. なにも たべません (I don't eat anything), だれも いません (there's nobody), どこへも 行きません (I'm not going anywhere).
- けさは なにも たべませんでした。kesa wa nani mo tabemasen deshitaThis morning, I didn't eat anything.
- きょうしつに だれも いません。kyōshitsu ni dare mo imasenThere's nobody in the classroom.
- 日曜日は どこへも 行きませんでした。nichiyōbi wa doko e mo ikimasen deshitaOn Sunday, I didn't go anywhere.
The basics
Question word + も, with a negative verb, gives a total negation: なにも (nothing), だれも (nobody), どこも (nowhere). The verb has to be in the negative.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| なにも ～ません | nothing | なにも 食べません |
| だれも ～ません | nobody | だれも いません |
| どこ（へ）も ～ません | nowhere | どこへも 行きません |
In practice
The original particle is replaced by も, except へ, に, で, which stay in front: どこへも, だれにも.
- けさは なにも 食べませんでした。kesa wa nani mo tabemasen deshitaThis morning, I didn't eat anything.
- きょうしつに だれも いません。kyōshitsu ni dare mo imasenThere's nobody in the classroom.
- 日曜日は どこへも 行きませんでした。nichiyōbi wa doko e mo ikimasen deshitaOn Sunday, I didn't go anywhere.
Don't confuse it with か
With か, the meaning changes completely: なにか = something, だれか = someone (covered later). なにも needs a negative verb; なにか is mostly used in questions or in the affirmative.
Common mistakes
- Putting the verb in the affirmative: “なにも 食べます” is wrong, it's 食べません.
- Keeping を: “なにを も” is wrong, it's なにも.
- Mixing up なにも (nothing) and なにか (something).
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Oedo Line (Daily life) of the Tokyo subway.