Translation problem

[lucagalbu]

Hi all!!
Can someone please explain me this phrase:

nanika taberu mono ga aru

My problem is thah I don't understand why I have to use nanika and mono: mono means "thing" but nanika means "something", so by using nanika and mono together, don't I repeat twice the word "thing"? Shouldn't I say:
ikutsuka taberu mono ga aru or taberu nanika ga aru

End another question please:
in order to translate "I speak japanese" I say:
a) nihongo wo hanasu
b) nihongo de hanasu

Thanks very much

[MMM]

Originally Posted by lucagalbu

Hi all!!
Can someone please explain me this phrase:

nanika taberu mono ga aru

My problem is thah I don't understand why I have to use nanika and mono: mono means "thing" but nanika means "something", so by using nanika and mono together, don't I repeat twice the word "thing"? Shouldn't I say:
ikutsuka taberu mono ga aru or taberu nanika ga aru

End another question please:
in order to translate "I speak japanese" I say:
a) nihongo wo hanasu
b) nihongo de hanasu

Thanks very much

Great questions! And this is a great example when you have to clear your mind of all that you know, and accept this unnatural (in English) structure.

Taberu nanki ga aru? is a word for word translation of "Is there something to eat?" but that's why word for word translations work less when the sentences get more complicated. The WORDS are right, but the structure is different.

Ikutsuka taberu mono ga aru is a POSSIBLE sentence in Japanese, but it sounds like you are asking for food for a starving group of people.

Just get used to the structure

nanika taberu mono ga aru

and then you can get into more fun sentences like

nanika oishiimono nai?

or when your friend is watching a boring TV show:

nanka motto omoshiroi bangumi nai?

2)

The difference is:
I speak Japanese. (emphasizes more that YOU can do it, rather than someone else)

I speak in Japanese. (empasizes that you will be speaking in JAPANESE rather than another language)

[lucagalbu]

in your example (nanka motto omoshiroi bangumi nai?) there is a difference using nanka instead of ikutsuka?

[MMM]

Originally Posted by lucagalbu

in your example (nanka motto omoshiroi bangumi nai?) there is a difference using nanka instead of ikutsuka?

nanka and nanika are the same, but ikutuka is an amount of something or more than one something, where nanika is something.

[lucagalbu]

OK, thank you very well

[shinjitsu]

How about "tabemono ha nanika aru."? seems right to me but i am kinda confused after reading the thread too often and i am getting more an more the longer i do^^

[MMM]

Originally Posted by shinjitsu

How about "tabemono ha nanika aru."? seems right to me but i am kinda confused after reading the thread too often and i am getting more an more the longer i do^^

Yup! That sentence workds!