Odd structure - 何か　見つけました？


Recently I have been enjoying the show Chii Sanpou. I expect a few of you have
seen or heard of it. The former actor walking around parts of Japan. The
Japanese is a mix of casual and polite.

Anyway in one episode he spots something and the narrator says

[code]

    何か、　見つけました？
    
[/code]

which to me is an odd pattern. I think it is "what did you see?". It appears
to be polite Japanese but the structure is not what I have been taught. I
would have expected

[code]

    何を見つけましたか？
    
[/code]

I would like to know more about this other form. Is it appropriate for polite
/ formal Japanese or is it a bit slangy? Can I use it in business?




なにか means "something/anything".

何 **を** 見つけましたか？ -- "What did you find?"  
何 **か** 見つけましたか？ -- "Did you find something/anything?"

The narration 「何か、見つけました？」 with a rising tone, with the question particle か
dropped, can mean "Did he find anything?"  
(「何か見つけました。」 with a falling tone would mean "He found something.")

It is the polite form / 丁寧形 and I don't think it's slangy. I think you can use
it in business (though it might be more appropriate to use the honorific form
/ 尊敬語 depending on who performs the action).

Similar examples:

> 誰 **か** いましたか？ (or いました？) -- Was anyone there?  
>  誰 **が** いましたか？ (or いました？) -- Who was there?
>
> 何 **か** 食べましたか？ (or 食べました？) -- Did you eat anything?  
>  何 **を** 食べましたか？ (or 食べました？) -- What did you eat?




なにか means "something/anything".

何 **を** 見つけましたか？ -- "What did you find?"  
何 **か** 見つけましたか？ -- "Did you find something/anything?"

The narration 「何か、見つけました？」 with a rising tone, with the question particle か
dropped, can mean "Did he find anything?"  
(「何か見つけました。」 with a falling tone would mean "He found something.")

It is the polite form / 丁寧形 and I don't think it's slangy. I think you can use
it in business (though it might be more appropriate to use the honorific form
/ 尊敬語 depending on who performs the action).

Similar examples:

> 誰 **か** いましたか？ (or いました？) -- Was anyone there?  
>  誰 **が** いましたか？ (or いました？) -- Who was there?
>
> 何 **か** 食べましたか？ (or 食べました？) -- Did you eat anything?  
>  何 **を** 食べましたか？ (or 食べました？) -- What did you eat?

