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Kotomora

奈

Nara, what?

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • ナ
  • ナイ
  • ダイ

Kun'yomi

  • いかん
  • からなし

Meaning

奈 is primarily used as a name element, especially in the place name Nara. Its standalone meaning is uncertain, but it can express a rhetorical question like "what?" in classical contexts.

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Etymology

The historical origin of 奈 is uncertain. It appears early in Chinese writing, possibly as a phonetic loan for a word meaning 'what' or as a representation of a fruit tree. The modern form combines 大 and 示, but this may not reflect the original composition.

Meaning mnemonic

Imagine a large (大) altar (示) in the ancient capital of Nara. When you see it, you ask, 'What is this grand structure?' The altar represents the historical and cultural weight of Nara.

Reading mnemonic

For ナ, think of Nara itself: the first syllable 'Na' is exactly the reading. Picture the famous Nara Daibutsu (奈良の大仏) to lock in ナ.