Meanings of 呢
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About 呢
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Podcast: 呢
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AI Study Notes for 呢
A common mistake is to confuse 呢 (ne) with other particles like 吗 (ma), which is used for yes/no questions. In informal settings, 呢 is used frequently, but it may sound overly casual in formal contexts. Be careful with intonation; using a rising tone can change the meaning.
As an HSK Level 1 word, 呢 (ne) connects with other basic question and conversational particles. Focus on how it modifies questions and statements to enhance your conversational skills in everyday scenarios.
Learners often wrongly place 呢 (ne) at the beginning of a sentence, which is incorrect. Instead, it should be used at the end of a statement or question, e.g., saying '我去商店呢' instead of '呢我去商店'.
Pronunciation of 呢
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Jason Explains 呢 to You
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Learning Lab
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Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
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Etymology of 呢
Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 尼 represents the sound. 口 (mouth) indicates that the character is only "mouthed", i.e. only used for its phonetic value.
mouth
Origin
呢 = 口 + 尼. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 呢
Parts
Which of these is part of 呢?
How to say particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?") in Chinese
“particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")” in Chinese is呢
The character 呢 (ne) is a versatile particle used in Mandarin Chinese. It serves to indicate a continuation of a thought or to inquire further about a subject, often translating to 'what about?' or 'and?' in English. It's commonly used in conversational contexts to maintain the flow of dialogue and engage the listener.
When to use 呢
A common mistake is to confuse 呢 (ne) with other particles like 吗 (ma), which is used for yes/no questions. In informal settings, 呢 is used frequently, but it may sound overly casual in formal contexts. Be careful with intonation; using a rising tone can change the meaning.
What learners get wrong
Learners often wrongly place 呢 (ne) at the beginning of a sentence, which is incorrect. Instead, it should be used at the end of a statement or question, e.g., saying '我去商店呢' instead of '呢我去商店'.
Write 呢
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Practice writing 呢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 呢
呢 functions as a grammatical particle — it carries no standalone meaning but signals a grammatical relationship. Particles attach to specific positions in the sentence (clause-final 吗/吧/呢, post-verbal 了/过/着, post-noun 的) and rarely move. It carries 7 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.
Fill the gap
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同学们正在考试____。
The classmates are taking an exam right now.
Example Sentences for 呢 (16)
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Rebuild it: “I like drinking tea, what about you?”
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Word Family of 呢
Words with 呢
What does 着呢 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 呢
Use 呢 when you want to encourage the listener to respond or to continue the conversation.
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