何階(なんかい)

なんかい
noun
what floor; which floor
1. what floor; which floor; how many floors
An interrogative used to ask which story of a building something is on, or how many stories a building has.
売(う)り場(ば)は何階(なんかい)ですか。
What floor is the sales area on?
このビルは何階(なんかい)建(だ)てですか。
How many stories is this building?
受付(うけつけ)で会議室(かいぎしつ)が何階(なんかい)にあるか尋(たず)ねた。
At the reception I asked what floor the meeting room was on.

何(なん) (what, how many) + 階(かい) (floor, story). Distinct from the homophone 何回(なんかい) ('how many times'), which uses 回(かい) (occasions).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 何階(なんかい)ですか: What floor is it?
  • 何階(なんかい)にある: on what floor is it?
  • 何階(なんかい)建(だ)て: how many stories (tall)
  • 何階(なんかい)まで: up to what floor

DISAMBIGUATION:
In speech, 何階(なんかい) (what floor) and 何回(なんかい) (how many times) sound identical. Context usually resolves the ambiguity, but speakers sometimes clarify by saying 何階目(なんかいめ) ('which floor') vs. 何回目(なんかいめ) ('which time').

RELATED:

  • 一階(いっかい): first floor
  • 二階(にかい): second floor
  • 三階(さんがい): third floor
  • 地下(ちか)何階(なんかい): which basement level
general
Added 2026.5.15 13:12
27500/27647_nankai