呢
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Translingual
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Han character
呢 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 口尸心 (RSP), four-corner 67011, composition ⿰口尼)
References
- Kangxi Dictionary: page 181, character 25
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3430
- Dae Jaweon: page 399, character 31
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 609, character 3
- Unihan data for U+5462
Chinese
Glyph origin
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *nil): semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 尼 (OC *nil)
Etymology 1
Ota (1987) suggests that the particle used in questions comes from 聻 (MC nriX) [Five Dynasties], a particle which may come from 爾 (MC nyeX, “that”), and that the particle used to indicate an action in progress comes from earlier 哩 [Yuan dynasty], which may come from 裏 (MC liX, “place”) [Tang dynasty–Five Dynasties].
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): ne1
- Hakka (Sixian, PFS): nè / nó / nê
- Eastern Min (BUC): nì
- Southern Min
- Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): 0neq; 0gni
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: ne
- Zhuyin: ˙ㄋㄜ
- Tongyong Pinyin: ne̊
- Wade–Giles: nê5
- Yale: ne
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: .ne
- Palladius: нэ (nɛ)
- Sinological IPA (key): /nə/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Jyutping: ne1
- Yale: nē
- Cantonese Pinyin: ne1
- Guangdong Romanization: né1
- Sinological IPA (key): /nɛː⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: nè / nó
- Hakka Romanization System: neˇ / noˋ
- Hagfa Pinyim: ne2 / no3
- Sinological IPA: /ne¹¹/, /no³¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: nè / nê / nó
- Hakka Romanization System: neˇ / neˊ / noˋ
- Hagfa Pinyim: ne2 / ne1 / no3
- Sinological IPA: /ne¹¹/, /ne²⁴/, /no³¹/
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
- Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: nì
- Sinological IPA (key): /nˡi⁵³/
- (Fuzhou)
Note: literary.
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: --ni
- Tâi-lô: --ni
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ni
- Tâi-lô: ni
- Phofsit Daibuun: ny
- IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /nĩ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: --neh
- Tâi-lô: --neh
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: --nih
- Tâi-lô: --nih
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ne
- Tâi-lô: ne
- Phofsit Daibuun: nef
- IPA (Xiamen): /nẽ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: --ne
- Tâi-lô: --ne
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nee
- Tâi-lô: nee
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /nɛ̃⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: --nee
- Tâi-lô: --nee
- (Teochew)
- Peng'im: nê1
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ne
- Sinological IPA (key): /ne³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou)
- Wu
Definitions
呢
- Sentence-final particle indicating a reciprocal question; used to apply the previously asked question to a new subject. What about ...?; And ...?
- Sentence-final particle signalling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words.
- Sentence-final particle indicating continuation of an action or state, English present continuous. to be ...-ing
- Sentence-final particle used to make questions more indirect, to give the impression that the speaker is speaking to themself.
- (Shanghainese) Sentence-final particle expressing anger.
Usage notes
When expressing an action in progress, 呢 can be used with 正在 (zhèngzài) and 著／着 (zhe) in a sentence. This is the full pattern. Each part is optional. The use of 呢 implies a contrastive mood.
Compounds
- 便是呢
- 嗎呢 / 吗呢
- 按呢 (án-ne)
Etymology 2
- “cloth”
- From French laine. In 《明史》, this word is also written as 嗹／𪡏. Cognate with Cantonese 冷 (laang5-1).
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): nei4 / nei1
- Hakka (Sixian, PFS): nì
- Eastern Min (BUC): nà̤ / nì
- Southern Min
- Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): 6gni
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: ní
- Zhuyin: ㄋㄧˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: ní
- Wade–Giles: ni2
- Yale: ní
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ni
- Palladius: ни (ni)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ni³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Jyutping: nei4 / nei1
- Yale: nèih / nēi
- Cantonese Pinyin: nei4 / nei1
- Guangdong Romanization: néi4 / néi1
- Sinological IPA (key): /nei̯²¹/, /nei̯⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: nì
- Hakka Romanization System: niˇ
- Hagfa Pinyim: ni2
- Sinological IPA: /ni¹¹/
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: nà̤ / nì
- Sinological IPA (key): /nˡɛ⁵³/, /nˡi⁵³/
- (Fuzhou)
Note:
- nà̤ - “whispering”;
- nì - “cloth”.
- Middle Chinese: nrij
- Old Chinese
- (Zhengzhang): /*nil/
Definitions
呢
- Used in 呢喃 (nínán).
- woollen cloth (for heavy clothing)
- 1853, 陳逢衡 [Chen Fengheng; Chin Hōkō], edited by 荒木謇, 𠸄咭唎紀略 [Yingjili jilüe; Egeresu kiryaku], page unknown:
Synonyms
| Variety | Location | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 呢子, 毛呢 | |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 呢子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 呢子 |
| Xi'an | 呢子 | |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 料子 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 呢子 |
| Yangzhou | 呢子 | |
| Gan | Nanchang | 呢子 |
| Lichuan | 呢子 | |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 呢 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 呢子 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 呢 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 呢 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 呢 |
| Ningbo | 呢 | |
Compounds
Etymology 3
Substrate word. Compare:
- Proto-Tai *najꟲ (“this”): Zhuang neix (“this”), Thai นี้ (níi, “this”), Lao ນີ້ (nī, “this”)
- Proto-Mon-Khmer *niʔ ~ nih (“this”): Khmer នេះ (nih, “this”)
- Proto-Mon-Khmer *naaj (deictic particle): Khmer នាយ (niəy, “over there”), Vietnamese này, nầy (“this”), Vietnamese nay (“now”), Vietnamese nấy (“that”)
- Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʔneinˣ (“this”): White Hmong no (“here, this”)
- Proto-Austronesian *nay (“this”, deictic particle), *qani (“this”, proximal deictic particle), *-ni (“this, here; now”, proximal spatio-temporal deictic suffix): Malay ini (“this”).
Pronunciation
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Jyutping: ni1 / nei1
- Yale: nī / nēi
- Cantonese Pinyin: ni1 / nei1
- Guangdong Romanization: ni1 / néi1
- Sinological IPA (key): /niː⁵⁵/, /nei̯⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
Definitions
呢
Usage notes
- Unlike Mandarin 這／这 (zhè), 呢 cannot be used alone without a following classifier. See 呢個#Usage notes.
Synonyms
Etymology 4
Pronunciation
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Jyutping: ne2
- Yale: né
- Cantonese Pinyin: ne2
- Guangdong Romanization: né2
- Sinological IPA (key): /nɛː³⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
Definitions
呢
Etymology 5
From clipping of English level.
Pronunciation
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
- Jyutping: le1
- Yale: lē
- Cantonese Pinyin: le1
- Guangdong Romanization: lé1
- Sinological IPA (key): /lɛː⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
Definitions
呢
- (Hong Kong Cantonese, gaming) levels (in a video game)
- (Hong Kong Cantonese, figuratively) levels in a society; social class
Compounds
Etymology 6
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: nǐ
- Zhuyin: ㄋㄧˇ
- Tongyong Pinyin: nǐ
- Wade–Giles: ni3
- Yale: nǐ
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nii
- Palladius: ни (ni)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ni²¹⁴/
- (Standard Chinese)+
Definitions
呢
Etymology 7
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: nī
- Zhuyin: ㄋㄧ
- Tongyong Pinyin: ni
- Wade–Giles: ni1
- Yale: nī
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nhi
- Palladius: ни (ni)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ni⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
Definitions
呢
- Only used in 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 (ǎn mānī bēimēi hōng).
Etymology 8
Pronunciation
Definitions
呢
- (Southern Min) Used in some question words.
Compounds
Japanese
Kanji
呢
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Readings
Korean
Hanja
呢 (eum 니 (ni))
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Vietnamese
Han character
呢: Hán Nôm readings: ni, nài, nấy, nê, nỉ, nì, này
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