など — And so on / Such as / Etcetera
Indicates that the listed items are examples and that others exist that aren't mentioned — 'such as,' 'like,' 'etcetera.' Often softens a statement or, about oneself, adds a humble/dismissive tone.
Structure
[Noun1] や [Noun2] など | [Noun] + など
Examples
趣味はサッカー、テニスなどのスポーツです。
Shumi wa sakkaa, tenisu nado no supootsu desu.
My hobbies are sports such as soccer, tennis, and so on.
など = the list is not exhaustive
日本語、英語、中国語などを勉強しています。
Nihongo, eigo, chuugokugo nado wo benkyou shite imasu.
I am studying Japanese, English, Chinese, etc.
など = etcetera / and similar languages
そんなことなど、気にしなくていいよ。
Sonna koto nado, ki ni shinakute ii yo.
Don't worry about such things.
など here adds a dismissive nuance: 'things like that'
• など vs とか: both mean 'such as / and the like.' とか is more casual (especially spoken); など is slightly more formal. • など can also be self-deprecating/dismissive about oneself: 私などには無理です (it's impossible for someone like me).
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones など is tested against.
vs とか
とか is casual/spoken and often lists examples loosely; など is a touch more formal and also carries the dismissive/humble nuance (私など).
vs や (non-exhaustive 'and')
や links example items ('A and B among others'); など caps such a list to explicitly signal 'and so on', often paired as A や B など.
More particles
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