なり

Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

auxiliary verb, irregular -ru verb (-ri ending), copula

usually written using kana alonearchaic

Archaic copula equivalent to modern だ or である. Used in classical Japanese and occasionally in modern formal or literary contexts.

吾わが輩はいは猫ねこなり。
I am a cat.

auxiliary verb, irregular -ru verb (-ri ending)

to be (at a location, archaic)

usually written using kana alonearchaic

Archaic locative copula meaning 'to be (in/at a place)'. Usually replaced by なる in modern Japanese. Rare and literary.

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉円えん也なりused on receipts or documents to state an exact sum of money
一いち万まん円えん也なり
the sum of ten thousand yen
〈人ひと〉は〈物もの〉なりclassical sentence pattern meaning 'X is Y'
我われは学がく生せいなり。
I am a student. (classical Japanese)

Kanji

也to be (classical)

Related words

だ sense 1
だ is the modern plain copula meaning 'to be', while なり is its archaic classical-Japanese equivalent.
なる sense 2
なる is the modern locative copula meaning 'to be (in/at)', while なり is its archaic predecessor now rarely used outside classical texts.
である sense 1
である is the modern formal/literary copula, whereas なり is the older classical form it descended from.

Written forms

なりUsage99%
Archaic copula and auxiliary verb; normally written in kana. The kanji 也 is rare and archaic.
ナリUsage1%
也なり
Archaic kanji form; rarely used in modern Japanese.

Etymology

Classical Japanese copula and auxiliary verb. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is a fundamental element of older Japanese grammar. The kanji 也 is a Chinese character used phonetically (ateji) for this native Japanese word.