呢 (ne) means "[question particle]" with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: [question particle]
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
呢 has no oracle bone or bronze inscription ancestry in its modern function. It is a phono-semantic compound of 口 (mouth, signalling a speech-related word) plus 尼 as the phonetic. 尼 itself once depicted two people close together and is unrelated in meaning to the particle usage.
Form evolution
Because 呢 entered written Chinese only in the medieval and later periods, the character has been essentially stable since clerical script. Its shape in 楷书 has been unchanged through standard, simplified, and traditional conventions, since it was not affected by 20th-century simplification.
How the meaning evolved
In literary Chinese 呢 had almost no role. In Modern Mandarin it settled into two distinct uses: as a sentence-final particle marking continuing state, soft questioning, or contrast (你呢? '(and) you?'), and as a noun pronounced 'ní' meaning woollen cloth, as in 呢子 or 毛呢. The two usages share graph but are etymologically independent.
Cultural note
Learners often overuse 呢 on yes/no questions where 吗 belongs. 呢 asks 'what about...' or expects elaboration; 吗 seeks a yes or no. Saying 你是学生呢? lands as slightly odd, where 你是学生吗? is the natural form.
Basic info
| Pinyin | ne |
| Meanings | [question particle] |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #1420 most common |
Example sentences
你呢？
Nǐ ne?
How about you?
From 呢 (HSK 1)
Words containing 呢
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 呢 | ne | [question particle] | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 呢 with the rest of your level.
HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.