"There is nothing."
Translation:何もありません。
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What is the purpose of 何も at the beginning? Does ありません not contain the same idea without a topic?
The も after interrogative pronouns like in 何も (also in いつも, だれも, どこも, probably others) has a different function to the も used after nouns generally to mean "also". In this case with a negative verb 何も expresses the concept of "anything", so 「何もありません」 means literally "there is not anything" or equivalently "there is nothing". Similarly いつも expresses "anytime" with a negative verb, だれも expresses "anybody" with a negative verb, etc. Some of the interrogatives+も (but not 何も for some reason) can also be used with positive verbs and in those cases expresses the complete category e.g. "always", "everybody".
Thanks for the explanation! Just to check if I understand, it is NOT correct to say 何もあります, right? So, how do I say "everything"?
You are correct, and there are reasons, but it's long winded grammar theory along with just old assocations between certain words and negative sentences in Japanese. Sort of like how in English we can say "I don't like it at all" but we CAN'T say "I like it at all". It's a negative polarity thing if you want to look it up.
For positive sentences, you CAN use 何でも however!
Sorry, but you didnt answer the question. At least, I don't think you did. Can one just say arimasen?
On its own, ありません just means "there isn't". That's not the same as "there isn't anything" (there is nothing). For example, if someone asks you 「カバンにペンがありますか？」(is there a pen in (your) bag?) you could answer 「ありません」(there isn't.) If you instead answered 「何もありません」 (there isn't anything) the meaning is very different, as though your bag is completely empty.
What's the difference between 何でも and 何も? I feel like I've heard "nothing" expressed as 何でも elsewhere. Is this the difference between "there is nothing" vs. "there is not anything" (with 何でもない being the latter, and 何もない being the former?)
何も - everything 何でも - anything
When both conjugated to negative they imply the same thing, nothing.
That's a literal translation, not necessarily correct English. You wouldn't really say "not anything" because there is a word for that; "nothing".
It is correct English, though.
These three are:
- There is nothing
- There is not anything
- There isn't anything.
All three are perfect answers.
Agree, number two is off! It is interesting though, how between different languages, the construction differs. German for example favours - I have or there is nothing. They generally would not use "there isn't anything."
No... nothing is a noun lmao. Also, there isn't anything is interchangeable with there is nothing
何も actually means "anything." The way the sentence is structured imples there is not anything there.
Why isn't there a particle は or が between 何も and ありません ? Or rather, why can't there be? Should it be also accepted as an answer?
1145
"Is there anything inside that box?" "There is nothing (inside the box.)" "Do we have any more apples?" "There aren't any (more apples.)" "What after-school clubs sound interesting to you?" "There are none (that sound interesting.)"
okay.... so why doesn't this sentence contain が? If "何も" is the subject....?
何も is considered an expression/adverb
There is actually already an active particle present, the inclusion particle も "also, too" which gives it the inclusive "every, no" meaning when combined with a question word
何も - everything/ nothing (neg)
誰も - everyone/ noone (neg)
どこも - everywhere/ nowhere (neg)
いつも - every time/always / never (neg)
