Which one should you use?
While など is the standard, other forms exist depending on the context. とか is used for casual conversation, and 等 serves as a formal equivalent for rigid or official contexts like academic papers or business reports. In very casual spoken Japanese, people may use なんか to mean "and things like that". Additionally, といった can be used after a list to mean "such as" or "things like", focusing on the examples provided.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality varies significantly between forms. 等 is reserved for formal, official contexts like business reports or academic writing. For casual speech, use とか or the very informal なんか.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle など is placed immediately after the last item in a list to indicate "etc." or "and so on". You can also use なども to emphasize that the items listed are just examples among others, often translating to "such as… as well".
How do you pronounce it?
nado
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'et cetera' which only appears at the end of a list, the casual Japanese equivalent とか is frequently repeated after every single item in the list.
- The phrase など evolved from the words なに 'what' and と 'and'. This suggests the phrase originally functioned as a question about what else existed in a list.
- Using など can serve as a social tool to soften a sentence, letting the speaker be intentionally vague to avoid sounding too assertive or demanding.
Examples in context
- 私は果物が好きです。りんご、バナナ など が好きです。I like fruits. I like apples, bananas, and so on.
- 明日は映画を見に行く予定です。ホラー映画とか好きなんです。I plan to go watch a movie tomorrow. I like horror movies and such.
- 果物や野菜など、体に良いものを食べましょう。Kudamono ya yasai nado, karada ni yoi mono o tabemashou.Let's eat things that are good for the body, such as fruits, vegetables, etc.
- 机の上には本やペンなどがあります。Tsukue no ue ni wa hon ya pen nado ga arimasu.There are books, pens, etc., on the desk.
- 休み日は、掃除や洗濯などをして過ごします。Yasumi no hi wa, souji ya sentaku nado o shite sugoshimasu.On my days off, I spend my time doing things like cleaning and laundry.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about grocery shopping.
- 美咲 Misaki買い物リストに何が必要？Kaimono risuto ni nani ga hitsuyou?What is needed on the shopping list?
- 大翔 Hiroto卵や牛乳など、いくつかあります。Tamago ya gyuunyuu nado, ikutsuka arimasu.There are a few things, like eggs, milk, etc.
- 美咲 Misaki他に必要なものはある？Hoka ni hitsuyou na mono wa aru?Is there anything else needed?
- 大翔 Hiroto今は大丈夫だよ。Ima wa daijoubu da yo.It's fine for now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries など, CC BY-SA 4.0.
