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吶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
吶nàto raise one's voice; to yell, to shout; to stammerzg, 7 strokes, radical 口, rank #66915, Very Hard
nà(na4) T4
  1. 1to raise one's voice; to yell, to shout; to stammer
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March 24, 2026

吶nà(na4)

The character 吶 (nà) conveys the action of raising one's voice, often in a forceful or loud manner. It can also imply a stammering or hesitation in speech, showcasing different emotional states like excitement or frustration. Commonly used in informal contexts, it can express urgency or a strong appeal for attention.

Strokes7Radical口Frequency#66915DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, raising one’s voice can indicate strong emotion or urgency, often seen in lively conversations or public speeches. The use of 吶 reflects the importance of expressive communication in social interactions.

Memory Tip

Imagine someone shouting 'Nah!' when they want to attract attention, as if they are raising their voice to get a point across. The character 吶 resembles a person opening their mouth wide to shout, with the left side resembling a mouth and the right side indicating movement or sound.

Meanings of 吶

nà(na4)
1to raise one's voice; to yell, to shout; to stammer
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 吶

吶Simplified
7Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 吶

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Podcast: 吶

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AI Study Notes for 吶

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when using 吶, as it is often used in informal settings. A common mistake is to use it in overly formal contexts, where other expressions would be more appropriate. It often appears in phrases like 吶喊 (nàhǎn), meaning 'to shout out loud.'

HSK Study Tips

As this character is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, focus on its phonetic similarity to other characters like 那 (nà) and 纳 (nà). Try to use 吶 in conversational practice to familiarize yourself with its expressive nuances.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 吶 with other shouting verbs like 喊 (hǎn) or 叫 (jiào), which have different connotations. For example, saying '我会吶他' (wǒ huì nà tā) is incorrect; it should be '我会叫他' (wǒ huì jiào tā) if you mean 'I will call him.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 吶

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Etymology of 吶

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 内 represents the sound. Simplified form of 吶.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)內
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 吶

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 内 represents the sound. Simplified form of 吶.

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half內 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 吶? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 吶?

Decomposition of 吶

IDS Structure⿰口內
吶Full Character
=
口kou3
left
內nei4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 吶?

How to say to raise one's voice; to yell, to shout; to stammer in Chinese

“to raise one's voice; to yell, to shout; to stammer” in Chinese is吶nà

The character 吶 (nà) conveys the action of raising one's voice, often in a forceful or loud manner. It can also imply a stammering or hesitation in speech, showcasing different emotional states like excitement or frustration. Commonly used in informal contexts, it can express urgency or a strong appeal for attention.

When to use 吶

Be cautious with the tone when using 吶, as it is often used in informal settings. A common mistake is to use it in overly formal contexts, where other expressions would be more appropriate. It often appears in phrases like 吶喊 (nàhǎn), meaning 'to shout out loud.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 吶 with other shouting verbs like 喊 (hǎn) or 叫 (jiào), which have different connotations. For example, saying '我会吶他' (wǒ huì nà tā) is incorrect; it should be '我会叫他' (wǒ huì jiào tā) if you mean 'I will call him.'

Write 吶

吶

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 吶

Words Containing This Character4
呐nàbattle cry吶
呐喊nàhǎnshout吶喊
唢呐also written 鎖吶|锁呐嗩吶
摇旗呐喊to give support to搖旗吶喊
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 呐 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 吶

No, 吶 is primarily used in informal speech or casual writing, so avoid it in formal documents.

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