The grammar of 何でもない


How does 何でもない work in terms of grammar to mean nothing?

I am confused because I'm not sure which of these is happening (or even if it
is one of these):

**1:** Is it getting 何で (why) and then adding も to make it mean 何でも (anything)
and then adding ない (not), therefore not anything (nothing).

**2:** Is it getting 何 (what) then using the でも particle, if it is which
meaning of でも is it using? Also after than that which is ない added -> 何でもない

How does the grammar actually work? I am very confused about this expression.




The grammar follows your second pattern. The structure **〜でも** translates to
"even__" (source: Makino & Tsutsui, Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, page
111), or more idiomatically in this particular case, **" __ at all."**

何___ない translates literally to "no what" (nothing). Just as we say "nowhere"
to mean "no place," we could imagine saying "no what" to mean "nothing."

Putting the two together gives us "nothing at all."

In actual usage, people seem to say 何でもない to mean "I'm all right" or "No
problem", like if someone asked them if something was the matter. If they want
to say an emphatic "Nothhhhing at all", they might be more likely to say
なんんんにもない.




The grammar follows your second pattern. The structure **〜でも** translates to
"even__" (source: Makino & Tsutsui, Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, page
111), or more idiomatically in this particular case, **" __ at all."**

何___ない translates literally to "no what" (nothing). Just as we say "nowhere"
to mean "no place," we could imagine saying "no what" to mean "nothing."

Putting the two together gives us "nothing at all."

In actual usage, people seem to say 何でもない to mean "I'm all right" or "No
problem", like if someone asked them if something was the matter. If they want
to say an emphatic "Nothhhhing at all", they might be more likely to say
なんんんにもない.

