also: なあ
Don't go there, it's dangerous.
そんなこと言うな。
Don't say that.
you know; I tell you
Sentence-final particle used when seeking confirmation, adding emphasis, or sharing a thought. Often has a masculine, informal tone.
It's hot today, isn't it?
That restaurant is really good, you know.
Hey, listen to this for a sec.
Wow, this view is beautiful.
な and ね both seek agreement or add emphasis at the end of a sentence, but な has a rougher, more masculine feel (or is the Kansai-dialect equivalent of ね) while ね is the neutral standard form.
哉 is an archaic sentence-ending particle of exclamation found only in classical texts, while なあ is the modern colloquial particle used to express similar emotion or emphasis in everyday speech.
なあ expresses similar reflective emphasis but sounds more casually emotive, whereas のう has a softer, rustic, old-fashioned feel.
な can also end a sentence with casual emphasis or self-directed feeling, but it lacks the confident, assertive punch that ぜ carries.
Standard kana spelling for all senses.
Lengthened variant with small ぁ, used in casual or emotive writing.
Lengthened variant, often used for emphasis or emotional expression.
Lengthened variant with long-vowel mark, common in casual writing.
The prohibitive な is a native Japanese particle. The imperative な is a contraction of なさい. The interjection and sentence-final particles are native developments with uncertain precise origins.