Wiktionary

呢

呢 U+5462, 呢
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5462
← 呡
[U+5461] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 呣 →
[U+5463]

Translingual edit

Stroke order
 

Han character edit

呢 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 口尸心 (RSP), four-corner 67011, composition ⿰口尼)

References edit

  • 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 edit

Glyph origin edit

Characters in the same phonetic series (尼) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
泥 *niːl, *niːls
屔 *niːl
苨 *niːlʔ
坭 *niːlʔ
迡 *niːls
埿 *braːms, *niːl, *niːls
旎 *nilʔ
狔 *nilʔ
抳 *nilʔ
尼 *nil
呢 *nil
怩 *nil
柅 *nil, *nilʔ
蚭 *nil
跜 *nil
秜 *nil
痆 *rniːd
昵 *niɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *nil) : semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 尼 (OC *nil)

Etymology 1 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢
alternative forms 吶／呐
膩／腻 Hokkien
逆 Hokkien

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 edit

Note: literary.

Definitions edit

呢

  1. Sentence-final particle indicating a reciprocal question; used to apply the previously asked question to a new subject. What about ...?; And ...?
    你呢？  ―  Nǐ ne?  ―  How about you?
    噉我呢？ [Cantonese]  ―  gam2 ngo5 ne1? [Jyutping]  ―  What about me?
    你覺得呢？／你觉得呢？  ―  Nǐ juéde ne?  ―  What do you think?
    你爸爸好嗎？你媽媽呢？ [MSC, trad.]
    你爸爸好吗？你妈妈呢？ [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐ bàba hǎo ma? Nǐ māma ne? [Pinyin]
    How is your father? And your mom?
  2. Sentence-final particle signalling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words.
    今天我倆值日，我這兒正掃著地，他呢，一溜煙兒跑了。 [MSC, trad.]
    今天我俩值日，我这儿正扫着地，他呢，一溜烟儿跑了。 [MSC, simp.]
    Jīntiān wǒ liǎ zhírì, wǒ zhèr zhèng sǎo zhe dì, tā ne, yīliūyānr pǎo le. [Pinyin]
    He and I were on cleaning duty today. I was sweeping the room when he got away in a flash.
  3. Sentence-final particle indicating continuation of an action or state, English present continuous. to be ...-ing
    我們上漢語課呢。 [MSC, trad.]
    我们上汉语课呢。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒmen shàng hànyǔ kè ne. [Pinyin]
    We are attending a Chinese lesson.
  4. Sentence-final particle used to make questions more indirect, to give the impression that the speaker is speaking to themselves.
    他去哪兒了呢？／他去哪儿了呢？  ―  Tā qù nǎr le ne?  ―  I wonder where he's going?
    伊來呢勿來？ [Shanghainese, trad.]
    伊来呢勿来？ [Shanghainese, simp.]
    From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309
    6yi 6le 0gni 8veq-le [Wugniu]
    Is he coming or not?
  5. (Shanghainese) Sentence-final particle expressing anger.
    早點介講呢！到現在再講。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
    早点介讲呢！到现在再讲。 [Shanghainese, simp.]
    From: 2007, Qian Nairong, 上海话大词典, page 309
    5tsau-ti 5ka 5kaon 0gni 5tau 6yi-ze 5tse 5kaon [Wugniu]
    You should have said it sooner, not now!
Usage notes edit

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.

我們正在上著漢語課呢。 [MSC, trad.]
我们正在上着汉语课呢。 [MSC, simp.]
Wǒmen zhèngzài shàng zhe hànyǔ kè ne. [Pinyin]
But we are (still) in Chinese class now.

Compounds edit

Etymology 2 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢
“cloth”
From French laine. In 《明史》, this word is also written as 嗹／𪡏. Cognate with Cantonese 冷 (laang5-1).

Pronunciation edit

Note:
  • nà̤ - “whispering”;
  • nì - “cloth”.
Rime
Character 呢
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 娘 (12)
Final (韻) 脂 (17)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 女夷切
Baxter nrij
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/ɳˠiɪ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/ɳᵚi/
Shao
Rongfen 		/niɪ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ɳji/
Li
Rong 		/nji/
Wang
Li 		/ni/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/ni/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		ní
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		nei4
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 呢
Reading # 1/1
No. 9429
Phonetic
component 		尼
Rime
group 		脂
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		尼
Old
Chinese 		/*nil/

Definitions edit

呢

  1. Used in 呢喃 (nínán).
  2. woollen cloth (for heavy clothing)
    呢絨／呢绒  ―  níróng  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
Synonyms edit
Dialectal synonyms of 呢子 (“woollen fabric”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 呢子, 毛呢
Mandarin Jinan 呢子
Wanrong 呢子
Xi'an 呢子
Guiyang 料子
Yangzhou 呢子
Nanjing 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 edit

Etymology 3 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢
alternative forms
 
爾／尔 rare
邇／迩 rare
伊 (ji1)
依 (ji1)
咿 (ji1)
爾／尔 rare
邇／迩 rare
伊 (ji1)
依 (ji1)
咿 (ji1)
哩 (li1)

Substrate word. Compare:

Pronunciation edit

Definitions edit

呢

  1. (Cantonese) this
Usage notes edit
Synonyms edit
Dialectal synonyms of 這 (“this”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 此, 斯, 是, 之, 茲 anteclassical, 夫, 爾
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 這
Mandarin Beijing 這
Taiwan 這
Tianjin 這
Chengde 這
Tangshan 這
Cangzhou 這
Baoding 這
Shijiazhuang 這
Chifeng 這
Hulunbuir (Hailar) 這
Heihe 這
Qiqihar 這
Jiamusi 這
Baicheng 這
Changchun 這
Tonghua 這
Shenyang 這
Dandong 這
Jinzhou 這
Dalian 這
Yantai 這
Qingdao 這
Lijin 這
Zhucheng 這
Jinan 這
Jining 這
Shangqiu 這
Yuanyang 這
Zhengzhou 這
Lingbao 這
Xinyang 這
Baihe 這
Hanzhong 這
Xi'an 這
Baoji 這
Yinchuan 這
Tianshui 這
Lanzhou 這
Dunhuang 這
Xining 這
Hami 這
Ürümqi 這
Wuhan 這
Yichang 這
Tianmen 這
Hong'an 這
Chengdu 這
Nanchong 這
Dazhou 這
Hanyuan 這
Xichang 這
Zigong 這
Chongqing 這
Guiyang 這
Zunyi 這
Bijie 這
Liping 這
Zhaotong 這
Dali 這
Kunming 這
Mengzi 這
Guilin 這
Liuzhou 這
Jishou 這
Changde 這
Xuzhou 這
Pizhou 這
Ganyu 這
Fuyang 這
Wuhu 這
Yangzhou 這
Baoying 這
Lianyungang 這
Donghai 這
Huai'an (Huaiyin) 這
Lianshui 這
Xuyi 這
Nanjing 這
Hefei 這
Nantong 這
Rugao 這
Yancheng 這
Funing 這
Sihong 這
Taizhou 這
Zhenjiang 這
Malaysia 這
Singapore 這
Cantonese Guangzhou 呢, 依
Hong Kong 呢, 依
Macau 呢
Taishan 該
Dongguan 呢
Yangjiang 果
Nanning 阿
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 呢
Singapore (Guangfu) 呢, 依
Gan Nanchang 箇
Nanchang (Wangcheng) 箇
Anyi 箇
Lushan 箇
Duchang 箇
Wuning (Quankou) 該
Poyang 箇
Yugan 該
Wannian 該
Yanshan 這
Yichun 箇
Yifeng 箇
Gao'an 箇
Fengxin 箇
Shanggao 里
Wanzai 箇
Fengcheng 該
Xinyu 該
Fuzhou (Shangdundu) 該
Fuzhou (Dongxiang) 箇
Nancheng 箇
Nanfeng 箇
Yihuang 箇
Lichuan 該
Chongren 該
Pingxiang 該
Ji'an 蓋
Taihe 箇
Xiajiang 該
Yingtan (Yujiang) 箇
Guixi 箇
Jianning 個
Jinxian 箇
Jinxi 箇
Le'an 該
Guangchang 改
Suichuan 底
Wan'an 介
Jing'an 箇
Zhangshu 該
Xingan 個
Fenyi 改
Hakka Changting 爾
Ninghua 只
Qingliu 這
Yudu 底
Ningdu 底
Ruijin 底
Shicheng 底
Xunwu 底
Huichang 底
Xingguo 界
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 這
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 這
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 這
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 這
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 這
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 這
Hong Kong 這
Huizhou Jixi 爾
Shexian 這
Wuyuan 伊
Jin Taiyuan 這
Yangyuan 這
Datong 這
Xinzhou 這
Lishi 這
Linfen 這
Changzhi 這
Linhe 這
Jining 這
Hohhot 這
Erenhot 這
Pingshan 這
Zhangjiakou 這
Handan 這
Suide 這
Northern Min Jian'ou 𱕇
Eastern Min Fuzhou 只, 者, 嚽
Changle 這
Lianjiang 這
Fuqing 者
Pingtan 這
Yongtai 這
Minqing 這
Gutian 這
Pingnan 這
Luoyuan 這
Fu'an 這
Ningde 這
Xiapu 這
Zherong 這
Shouning 這
Zhouning 這
Fuding 這
Singapore (Fuqing) 這
Southern Min Xiamen 這
Xiamen (Tong'an) 這
Quanzhou 只, 這
Jinjiang 這
Nan'an 這
Shishi 這
Hui'an 這
Anxi 這
Yongchun 這
Dehua 這
Zhangzhou 這
Zhangzhou (Longhai) 這
Zhangzhou (Changtai) 這
Hua'an 這
Nanjing 這
Pinghe 這
Zhangpu 這
Yunxiao 這
Zhao'an 只
Dongshan 這
Taipei 這
Kinmen 這
Penang (Hokkien) 這
Singapore (Hokkien) 這
Manila (Hokkien) 這
Longyan 迄好
Zhangping 這
Chaozhou 只
Shantou 只
Jieyang 只
Haifeng 只
Singapore (Teochew) 只
Batam (Teochew) 只
Wenchang 這
Haikou 這
Singapore (Hainanese) 這
Puxian Min Putian 只蜀
Xianyou 只蜀
Central Min Yong'an 這
Shaxian 這
Shaojiang Min Guangze 當
Jiangle 者
Mingxi 只
Shunchang 這
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 亞
Shehua Cangnan 這
Jingning 個
Wu Shanghai 搿, 迭 dated, 第 obsolete
Shanghai (Chongming) 吉, 講, 葛 also that
Shanghai (Songjiang) 搿
Suzhou 該, 搿
Suzhou (Shengze, Wujiang) 個
Wuxi 意
Changshu 俚
Jiaxing 葛
Jiashan 葛
Pinghu 葛
Haining (Yanguan) 葛
Tongxiang 葛
Haiyan 葛
Changzhou 資
Danyang 格
Gaochun 格
Huzhou 格
Changxing 格
Anji (Ancheng) 格
Deqing 葛
Hangzhou 葛
Hangzhou (Yuhang) 葛
Hangzhou (Lin'an) 葛
Hangzhou (Fuyang) 葛
Tonglu 葛
Tonglu (Wusheng) 個個
Shaoxing 咸
Zhuji 咸
Shengzhou 咸
Xinchang 咸
Ningbo 葛
Zhenhai 葛
Yuyao 耶
Cixi 葛
Huangyan 葛
Tiantai 葛
Sanmen 葛
Wenling 葛, 格
Wenzhou 個
Yueqing 個
Yongjia (Fenglin) 個
Rui'an 個
Pingyang 個
Taishun 這
Wencheng 個
Lishui 已
Qingtian 已
Jinyun 已
Songyang (Xiping) 益
Yunhe 益
Qingyuan 這
Longquan 搭
Suichang 益
Jiangshan 益
Changshan 益
Kaihua 益
Longyou 個
Jinhua 等, 待
Yiwu 吾
Yongkang 個
Pujiang 這, 吉
Dongyang 個
Wuyi 愛個
Lanxi 個
Shangrao 這
Shangrao (Guangfeng) 伊
Yushan 伊
Xiang Changsha 咯
Shuangfeng 咯

Etymology 4 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢

Pronunciation edit

Definitions edit

呢

  1. (Cantonese) hey; Used to raise attention of the listener

Etymology 5 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢
alternative forms le

From clipping of English level.

Pronunciation edit

Definitions edit

呢

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, gaming) levels (in a video game)
  2. (Hong Kong Cantonese, figuratively) levels in a society; social class
Compounds edit

Etymology 6 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢

Pronunciation edit

Definitions edit

呢

  1. sound
  2. Alternative form of 䛏 (ní)

Etymology 7 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢

Pronunciation edit

Definitions edit

呢

  1. Only used in 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 (ǎn mānī bēimēi hōng).

Etymology 8 edit

trad. 呢
simp. # 呢
alternative forms 年
哖

Pronunciation edit

Definitions edit

呢

  1. (Southern Min) Used in some question words.

Compounds edit

Japanese edit

Kanji edit

呢

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings edit

Korean edit

Hanja edit

呢 (eum 니 (ni))

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese edit

Han character edit

呢: Hán Nôm readings: ni, nài, nấy, nê, nỉ, nì, này

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
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