那
what?
Readings
On'yomi
- ナ
- ダ
Kun'yomi
- なに
- なんぞ
- いかん
Nanori
- とも
- やす
Meaning
那 centers on a questioning or indefinite reference: 'what?' or 'which?'. It is used to point out something unknown or unspecified.
Most common words using 那
20 of 60- 旦那だんなN1
master (of a house, shop, etc.)
- 那覇なは
Naha (city in Okinawa)
- 支那しな
China
- 刹那せつな
moment; instant
- 若旦那わかだんな
young master; young gentleman
- 伊邪那岐いざなぎ
Izanagi; male deity who fathered Japan and the sun, moon, and storm gods
- 那由他なゆた
an extremely great number (often said to be 100 million)
- 一刹那いっせつな
(a) moment; an instant
- 与那国蚕よなぐにさん
atlas moth (Attacus atlas)
- 中支那なかしな
Central China
- 伊邪那岐命いざなぎのみこと
Izanagi-no-Mikoto; Izanagi; male deity who fathered Japan and the sun, moon, and storm gods
- 伊邪那美いざなみ
Izanami; female deity who gave birth to Japan and the sun, moon, and storm gods
- 伊邪那美命いざなみのみこと
Izanami-no-Mikoto; Izanami; female deity who gave birth to Japan and the sun, moon, and storm gods
- 元旦那もとだんな
ex-husband; former husband
- 刹那主義せつなしゅぎ
principle of living only for the moment
- 刹那的せつなてき
ephemeral; transitory
- 大旦那おおだんな
(one's) father-in-law
- 大毘盧遮那成仏神変加持経だいびるしゃなじょうぶつじんべんかじきょう
Mahavairocana Sutra; Mahavairocana Tantra
- 大毘盧遮那経だいびるしゃなきょう
Mahavairocana Sutra; Mahavairocana Tantra
- 式叉摩那しきしゃまな
probationary nun (undergoing a two-year probationary period before receiving ordainment)
Study
Etymology
那 originally combined a phonetic element with the city enclosure ⻏. Its use as a question word likely developed from a demonstrative or locative function, but the exact historical path is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The right side ⻏ looks like a question mark turned sideways, and the left side has strokes that resemble a person scratching their head. Together, 那 asks 'what?'.
Reading mnemonic
For ナ, imagine someone asking 'What?' and you answer 'Nah, nothing.' The casual 'Nah' cues ナ while the question hangs in the air.