呢
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(sentence-final particle) used in questions to link back to prior discourse or context ("what about...?", "and...?"); (sentence-final particle) indicating that a state or situation still holds; (discourse particle) used to mark a slight pause or emphasis in speech
8 strokes
Dict coverage rank #2,598 U+5462
How 呢 is formed
Phono-semantic compound (形声字)
口 (semantic, “mouth”) + 尼 (phonetic, ní)
How to remember it
woolen cloth · Heisig RSH #884
口 mouth + 尼 nun
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Phonetic series: characters sharing the sound component 尼
Siblings built with the same phonetic component 尼 (ní) — compare how they read:
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 尼 sound component | ní | Buddhist nun; used in transliterations |
| 泥 | ní | mud, earth, clay; plaster, paste |
| 妮 | nī | maid, servant girl; cute girl |
| 昵 | nì | close, intimate; to approach |
| 怩 | ní | timid, shy; bashful, ashamed |
| 旎 | nǐ | romantic; the fluttering of a flag |
| 伲 | nì | we (Shanghai dialect) |
| 坭 | ní | mud, mire; to paste, to plaster |
| 铌 | ní | niobium |
Words containing 呢
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 格子花呢 | gé zi huā ní | tartan; plaid |
| 格子呢 | gé zi ní | checked woolen fabric; plaid |
| 台面呢 | tái miàn ní | (billiards) baize |
| 华达呢 | huá dá ní | (loanword) gabardine |
| 制服呢 | zhì fú ní | (textiles) uniform coating; durable, warm fabric used for uniforms |
| 管他呢 | guǎn tā ne | don’t worry about (it, him etc); doesn’t matter; whatever; anyway |
| 呢子 | ní zi | dense wool fabric (used for coats and jackets) |
| 花呢 | huā ní | fancy suiting |
| 着呢 | zhe ne | comes at the end of the sentence to indicate a strong degree; quite; rather |
| 软呢 | ruǎn ní | soft, pliable wool fabric |
| 呢喃细语 | ní nán xì yǔ | whispering in a low voice (idiom); murmuring |
| 怎么说呢 | zěn me shuō ne | Why is that?; How come? |
| 呢呢痴痴 | ní ní chī chī | docile |
| 呢呢 | ní ní | garrulous; talkative |
| 呢喃 | ní nán | (onom.) twittering of birds; whispering; murmuring |
| 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 | ǎn má ní bā mī hōng | om mani padme hum (Buddhist mantra) |