拿

㧱/拏

ná

合 + 手

HSK 2.0Level 3

HSK 3.0Level 2

Definitions

ná (verb) to hold; to seize; to catch; to take

ná (particle) to mark the following noun as a direct object

Etymology

Originally written as a hand (手) taking an object. Later written as 拏 with the phonetic 奴 component added. Later the 奴 component was corrupted to 合.

Semantic: 手 Phonetic: 合

About

The character 拿 originates from an ancient drawing of a hand (手) taking an object, a direct pictograph of grasping. This early form later gained the phonetic element 奴 to create 拏, but scribal corruption eventually turned 奴 into 合, yielding today's structure of 合 over 手. Though the upper component now obscures the original sound marker, the hand beneath remains the key to the meaning: to take, hold, or seize something. In modern Chinese, 拿 has also evolved into a grammatical preposition, expressing the instrument or means used for an action, similar to the English "with".

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

请拿一杯水给我。

Qǐng ná yì bēi shuǐ gěi wǒ.

Please bring me a glass of water.

他拿着手机走路。

Tā názhe shǒujī zǒulù.

He walks while holding a phone.

妈妈拿走了我的玩具。

Māma názǒule wǒ de wánjù.

Mom took away my toy.

你能拿到那个盒子吗？

Nǐ néng nádào nàge hézi ma?

Can you reach that box?

她拿起了笔开始写字。

Tā náqǐle bǐ kāishǐ xiězì.

She picked up the pen and started writing.

这个箱子很重，我拿不动。

Zhège xiāngzi hěn zhòng, wǒ ná bù dòng.

This box is heavy, I can't lift it.

他拿钱买了新衣服。

Tā ná qián mǎile xīn yīfu.

He used money to buy new clothes.

我们必须拿出勇气面对困难。

Wǒmen bìxū ná chū yǒngqì miànduì kùnnán.

We must summon courage to face difficulties.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 合

Component: 手

拿