呢 meaning and stroke order
(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
How to write 呢, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 呢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (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
- dense wool fabric (used for coats and jackets)
How 呢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 尼 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 呢
呢 is 口 (mouth) plus 尼 (ní), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth at the end of a sentence adding a soft "ne" to ask "and you?"
呢 (ne) goes at the end of a sentence. It can turn a topic into a follow-up question, show that something is still going on, or add a light pause. Example: 我很好，你呢？(Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?) I'm fine, and you?
Common mistake: Learners often put 呢 on a plain yes-or-no question, as in 你是学生呢？. That question needs 吗 (ma): 你是学生吗？ Use 呢 for "what about...?" follow-ups or with question words like 什么 and 哪儿.
Common words with 呢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 花呢 | huāní | fancy suiting |
呢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 呢
How many strokes are in 呢?
呢 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 呢 mean?
呢 (ne) means (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. A common word with it is 花呢 (huāní), meaning "fancy suiting".
How do you pronounce 呢?
呢 has more than one reading: ne and né. The most common is ne, said in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 呢?
The radical of 呢 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 呢 under this radical.
Is 呢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 呢 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do you pronounce 呢 when it means wool fabric?
In the fabric sense it is read ní, with a second tone, as in 花呢 (huāní) fancy suiting. As a particle it is the neutral tone ne. The particle use is far more common.
How does 呢 show that something is still happening?
Put it at the end of a sentence that describes an ongoing state, often with 正在 or 还. For example, 他还在睡觉呢 (Tā hái zài shuìjiào ne) means "He's still sleeping."