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呢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
呢neparticle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")HSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢newoolen materialHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢neparticle for inquiring about location ("Where is ...?")HSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢neparticle signaling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words and allow the listener time to take them on board ("ok?", "are you with me?")HSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢ne(at the end of a declarative sentence) particle indicating continuation of a state or actionHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢neparticle indicating strong affirmationHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢newool; interrogative or emphatic final particleHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢níparticle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")HSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢níwoolen materialHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢níparticle for inquiring about location ("Where is ...?")HSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢níparticle signaling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words and allow the listener time to take them on board ("ok?", "are you with me?")HSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢ní(at the end of a declarative sentence) particle indicating continuation of a state or actionHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢níparticle indicating strong affirmationHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
呢níwool; interrogative or emphatic final particleHSK 1, y, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #59, Easy
ne(ne5)
primary
 T5
  1. 1particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")
  2. 2woolen material
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
呢ne(ne5)

The character 呢 (ne) is a versatile particle used in Mandarin Chinese. It serves to indicate a continuation of a thought or to inquire further about a subject, often translating to 'what about?' or 'and?' in English. It's commonly used in conversational contexts to maintain the flow of dialogue and engage the listener.

Strokes8Radical口Frequency#59DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese conversational culture, using particles like 呢 (ne) reflects politeness and engagement. It shows that the speaker is interested in the listener's thoughts and encourages a back-and-forth exchange.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sheep (which produces wool) wearing a cozy woolen sweater, saying 'ne?' to you, as if asking, 'What about my sweater?' The shape of 呢 resembles a sheep in a way, linking the meaning of 'wool' to its use in conversation.

Meanings of 呢

ne(ne5)
primary
1particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")
2woolen material
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 呢

呢Simplified
8Strokes
口Radical
语气词yǔqìcímodal particle (mod.part.)Part of Speech
#59Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1

Podcast: 呢

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Podcast: 呢

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 呢

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a sheep (which produces wool) wearing a cozy woolen sweater, saying 'ne?' to you, as if asking, 'What about my sweater?' The shape of 呢 resembles a sheep in a way, linking the meaning of 'wool' to its use in conversation.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is to confuse 呢 (ne) with other particles like 吗 (ma), which is used for yes/no questions. In informal settings, 呢 is used frequently, but it may sound overly casual in formal contexts. Be careful with intonation; using a rising tone can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 呢 (ne) connects with other basic question and conversational particles. Focus on how it modifies questions and statements to enhance your conversational skills in everyday scenarios.

Cultural Note

In Chinese conversational culture, using particles like 呢 (ne) reflects politeness and engagement. It shows that the speaker is interested in the listener's thoughts and encourages a back-and-forth exchange.

Common Mistakes

Learners often wrongly place 呢 (ne) at the beginning of a sentence, which is incorrect. Instead, it should be used at the end of a statement or question, e.g., saying '我去商店呢' instead of '呢我去商店'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 呢

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Etymology of 呢

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 尼 represents the sound. 口 (mouth) indicates that the character is only "mouthed", i.e. only used for its phonetic value.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)尼
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 呢?

Decomposition of 呢

IDS Structure⿰口尼
呢Full Character
=
口kou3
left
尼ni2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 呢?

Write 呢

呢

Practice writing 呢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 呢

呢 functions as a grammatical particle — it carries no standalone meaning but signals a grammatical relationship. Particles attach to specific positions in the sentence (clause-final 吗/吧/呢, post-verbal 了/过/着, post-noun 的) and rarely move. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

同学们正在考试____。

The classmates are taking an exam right now.

Example Sentences for 呢 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
谁愿意从一家要倒闭的公司买计算机呢？

shuí yuàn yì cóng yī jiā yào dǎo bì de gōng sī mǎi jì suàn jī ne？

Who wants to buy a computer from a failing company?
2
为什么像大学这样人才济济的社区要害怕虚无主义呢？

wéi shí mó xiàng dà xué zhè yàng rén cái jì jì de shè qū yào hài pà xū wú zhǔ yì ne？

Why should a great community like a university be afraid of nihilism?
3
我们怎么知道你不只是在为自己的朋友遮掩呢？

wǒ mén zěn mó zhī dào nǐ bù zhī shì zài wéi zì jǐ de péng yǒu zhē yǎn ne？

How do we know you're not just covering up for your friend?
4
“你为什么12个月前不任命罗恩呢？”——“问得好。”

“ “ nǐ wéi shí12 mó 12 gè yuè qián bù rèn mìng luó？”——“ ēn ne ？”——“。”

"Why didn't you appoint Ron twelve months ago?"—"Good question."
5
粗花呢从不过时，手感很好，结实耐磨。

cū huā ne cóng bù guò shí， ， shǒu gǎn hěn， hǎo ， jié shí。

Tweed is timeless, tactile and tough.
6
她对我这么好，一定别有用心—她到底想干什么呢？

tā duì wǒ zhè mó hǎo， ， yī dìng bié yǒu yòng— xīn — tā dào dǐ xiǎng gān shí？

She must have some ulterior motive for being nice to me—what does she really want?
7
赶快回来好 吗 ?我们正等着结果呢.

gǎn kuài huí lái hǎo? ma ? wǒ mén zhèng děng zháo jié.

Hurry back , won't you? We're waiting for the result.
8
嗯，我觉得那很棒。你们俩呢？

ňg， ， wǒ jué dé nà hěn。 bàng 。 nǐ mén？

Well, I enjoyed that. How about you two?
9
为什么会有人想要那份工作呢？

wéi shí mó huì yǒu rén xiǎng yào nà fèn gōng zuò ne？

Why would anyone want that job?
10
那是怎么回事呢？出问题了，是吗？

nà shì zěn mó huí shì ne？ ？ chū wèn tí， le ，？

What is it then? Something's up, isn't it?

Cultural Notes for 呢

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese conversational culture, using particles like 呢 (ne) reflects politeness and engagement. It shows that the speaker is interested in the listener's thoughts and encourages a back-and-forth exchange.

Word Family of 呢

Words Containing This Character7
呢neparticle indicating strong affirmation
着呢quite著呢
呢子woolen cloth
呢喃whispering
花呢tweed
华达呢gabardine (loanword)華達呢
制服呢tweed cloth (used for military uniforms etc)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 呢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 呢

Use 呢 when you want to encourage the listener to respond or to continue the conversation.