also: なにかよう
what do you want?; can I help you?
A direct, often brusque or curt phrase used when someone approaches you or seems to need something. Equivalent to 'What is it?' or 'Do you need something?'. Not a polite inquiry; for polite service contexts, いらっしゃいませ or 何かお手伝いしましょうか are more appropriate.
突然部屋に入ってきて「何か用？」と聞かれた。
I suddenly entered the room and was asked, 'What do you want?'
彼は不機嫌そうに「何か用？」と言った。
He said 'What do you want?' in a grumpy tone.
Standard kanji-kana spelling; can be read as なにかよう or なんかよう.
Colloquial spelling reflecting the contracted pronunciation なんかよう.
Explicit kana spelling for the なにかよう reading.
Phrase composed of 何か (nanika, 'something') + 用 (yō, 'business, errand'). The contracted form なんかよう is common in casual speech.