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钠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
钠nàsodium, natrium; to sharpen woodn, 9 strokes, radical 钅, rank #14468, Very Hard
钠nàsodium (chemistry)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 钅, rank #14468, Very Hard
nà(na4)na T4
  1. 1sodium, natrium; to sharpen wood
  2. 2sodium (chemistry)
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March 24, 2026

钠(鈉)nà(na4)

钠 (nà) refers primarily to sodium, a chemical element essential for various biological functions and widely used in industrial applications. In certain contexts, it can also mean to sharpen wood, though this usage is less common. The character is often encountered in chemistry and food-related discussions, particularly in relation to salt.

Strokes9Radical钅Frequency#14468DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese cuisine, sodium is often associated with salt, which is a fundamental seasoning. The importance of salt in Chinese cooking reflects the broader cultural value placed on flavor balance and food preservation.

Memory tip

Imagine a chef named Na who sharpens his wooden utensils before cooking. The character 钠 has a metal radical (金) at the top, suggesting its metallic nature in sodium, while the bottom part resembles a knife, symbolizing the sharpening action.

Meanings of 钠

nà(na4)
1sodium, natrium; to sharpen wood
2sodium (chemistry)
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 钠 means.

About 钠

钠Simplified
鈉Traditional
9Strokes
钅Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 钠

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Podcast: 钠

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AI study notes for 钠

Usage Notes

钠 is primarily used in scientific contexts when discussing elements or compounds, such as sodium chloride (table salt). Be cautious with the tone; it should always be pronounced with a falling tone (nà). Common collocations include '钠盐' (sodium salt) and '钠元素' (sodium element).

HSK Study Tips

Though 钠 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other chemistry-related terms in Level 3 and beyond. Students should focus on understanding its role in compounds and its pronunciation to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 钠 (sodium) with 盐 (salt). For example, saying '我喜欢钠' (I like sodium) instead of '我喜欢盐' (I like salt) is incorrect. Focus on using 钠 in scientific contexts and 盐 in culinary ones.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 钠

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Etymology of 钠

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 内 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈉.

Memory hint

metal

Semantic (meaning)钅
+
Phonetic (sound)内
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

钠 = 钅 + 内. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 钠

IDS Structure⿰钅内
钠Full character
=
钅jin1
left
内nei4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 钠?

How to say sodium, natrium; to sharpen wood in Chinese

“sodium, natrium; to sharpen wood” in Chinese is钠nà

钠 (nà) refers primarily to sodium, a chemical element essential for various biological functions and widely used in industrial applications. In certain contexts, it can also mean to sharpen wood, though this usage is less common. The character is often encountered in chemistry and food-related discussions, particularly in relation to salt.

When to use 钠

钠 is primarily used in scientific contexts when discussing elements or compounds, such as sodium chloride (table salt). Be cautious with the tone; it should always be pronounced with a falling tone (nà). Common collocations include '钠盐' (sodium salt) and '钠元素' (sodium element).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 钠 (sodium) with 盐 (salt). For example, saying '我喜欢钠' (I like sodium) instead of '我喜欢盐' (I like salt) is incorrect. Focus on using 钠 in scientific contexts and 盐 in culinary ones.

Write 钠

钠

Practice writing 钠 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 钠

钠 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

在外面,全城的____光灯都亮了.

Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.

Example sentences for 钠 (5)

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1
在外面,全城的钠光灯都亮了.

zài wàimiàn, quán chéng de nà guāng dēng dōu liàng le.

Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.
2
食盐由40%的钠和60%的氯化物构成。

shí yán yóu40% de nà hé60% de lǜ huà wù gòuchéng。

Common salt is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride.
3
生产亚氯酸钠, 二氯笨甲等化工原料.

shēngchǎn yà lǜ suān nà, èr lǜ bèn jiǎ děng huà gōng yuánliào.

Production Asia Lu : suanna, R 123 stupid emphasis on humanities chemical raw materials.
4
钙长石与钠长石是重要的含钙长石.

gài cháng dàn yǔ nà cháng dàn shì zhòngyào de hán gài cháng dàn.

Anorthite and albite are important calcium - containing feldspars.
5
如果除去细胞外液的钠而阻止钙外流,就会出现肌肉挛缩了.

rúguǒ chúqù xìbāo wài yè de nà ér zǔzhǐ gài wài liú, jiù huì chūxiàn jīròu luán suō le.

Contracture occurs when the efflux of calcium is prevented by removing the extracellular sodium.

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Word Family of 钠

Words containing this character11
钠nàsodium (chemistry)鈉
氢氧化钠caustic soda氫氧化鈉
氯化钠common salt氯化鈉
碳酸钠soda碳酸鈉
硝酸钠sodium nitrate硝酸鈉
碳酸氢钠sodium bicarbonate碳酸氫鈉
硫酸钠sodium sulfate硫酸鈉
磷酸钠sodium phosphate (chemistry)磷酸鈉
氰化钠sodium cyanide NaCN氰化鈉
硫代硫酸钠sodium hyposulfide硫代硫酸鈉
苛性钠caustic soda苛性鈉
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 钠

What does 氢氧化钠 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 钠

No, 钠 is mainly used in scientific or technical contexts rather than in everyday conversation.

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