Stroke order (Mainland China)

Stroke order

Traditional Chinese and Japanese

乃 (Kangxi radical 4,丿+1, 2 strokes,cangjie input弓竹尸 (NHS),four-corner1722₇,composition⿹㇡丿)

• 仍,奶,屷,扔,辸,㭁,㲌,礽,䄧,䚮,釢
• 㞧,艿,秀,隽,䯮,疓,氖,孕,尕,朶,盁,呄,㭆,㚉,鼐,夃

• の(Hiragana character derived fromMan'yōgana)
• ノ(Katakana character derived fromMan'yōgana)

• Kangxi Dictionary:page 81, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 113
• Dae Jaweon: page 165, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 31, character 5
• Unihan data for U+4E43

Historical forms of the character乃
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled inHan)			Liushutong (compiled inMing)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Shizhoupian script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j11474 j11475 j11476 j11477 j11478 j11479 j11480 j11481 Bronze inscriptions b07002 b07003 b07004 b07005 b07006 b07007 b07008 b07009 b07010 b07011 b07012 b07013 b07014 b07015 b07016 b07017 b07018 b07019 b07020 b07021 b07022 b07023 b07024 b07025 b07026 b07027 b07028 b07029 b07030 b07031 b07032 b07033 b07034 b07035 b07036 b07037 b07038 b07039 b07040 Small seal script s03493 Transcribed ancient scripts L34567 L34568 L34569 L34570 L15245 L15246 L15247 L15230 L15231 L15232 L15233 L15234 L15235 L15236 L15237 L15238 L15239 L15240 L15241 L15242 L15243 L15244 L15248 L15249 L15250 L15251 L15252 L15253 L15254 L15255
References: Mostly from Richard Sears'Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Its original form is𠄎 and its origin is uncertain. Various theories exists:

• Chen Duxiu, Guo Moruo: Pictogram (象形) – sideway view of a person with protruding breasts. Original form of奶 (OC*rneːlʔ)
• Zhu Fangpu: Pictogram (象形) – a rope. Original form of繩 (OC*ɦbljɯŋ)
• Wang Yunzhi, Shihong: Pictogram (象形) – a rope in midair being thrown. Used as a component in扔 (OC*njɯŋ, *njɯŋs).
• Lin Yiguang: Ideogram (指事) – the shape of dragging or pulling.

Unrelated to廴.

“you; your”

FromProto-Sino-Tibetan*na-ŋ(“you”).

"then; now"

Related toTibetanན(na,postposition following temporal causes) (Coblin, 1986).

乃

1. (literary)you,your

   • 朕心朕德，惟乃知。[Classical Chinese,trad. andsimp.]

     From: TheBook of Documents, circa 4^th – 3^rd centuryBCE

     Zhèn xīn zhèn dé, wéinǎi zhī.[Pinyin]

     Onlyyou know my heart and my virtue.

   • 往踐乃職，無逆朕命。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     往践乃职，无逆朕命。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     From:Commentary of Zuo,c. 4^th centuryBCE

     Wǎng jiànnǎi zhí, wú nì zhèn mìng.[Pinyin]

     Go and carry outyour duties, and do not disobey my orders!

   • 1210,陸游 [Lu You],示兒 (poem):

     王師北定中原日，家祭毋忘告乃翁。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     王师北定中原日，家祭毋忘告乃翁。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     Wángshī běi dìng zhōngyuán rì, jiājì wú wàng gàonǎi wēng.[Pinyin]

     On the day the Song army reconquers the Central Plain in the North, do not forget to informyour father when making offerings to your ancestors.

2. (literary)be

   失敗乃成功之母／失败乃成功之母  ― shībàinǎi chénggōng zhī mǔ  ―  failure is the mother of success

   • 呂公女乃呂后也，生孝惠帝、魯元公主。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     吕公女乃吕后也，生孝惠帝、鲁元公主。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     From: TheRecords of the Grand Historian, bySima Qian,c. 91BCE

     Lǚ Gōng nǚnǎi Lǚ Hòu yě, shēng Xiàohuì Dì, Lǔyuán Gōngzhǔ.[Pinyin]

     The daughter of Lü Gongwas Empress Lü, who gave birth to Emperor Hui and Princess Luyuan.

3. (literary)then;hence

   Synonym:於是 /于是(yúshì)

   • 相如度秦王雖齋，決負約不償城，乃使其從者衣褐，懷其璧，從徑道亡，歸璧於趙。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     相如度秦王虽斋，决负约不偿城，乃使其从者衣褐，怀其璧，从径道亡，归璧于赵。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     From: TheRecords of the Grand Historian, bySima Qian,c. 91BCE

     Xiàngrú duò Qín wáng suī zhāi, jué fùyuē bù cháng chéng,nǎi shǐ qí cóngzhě yì hè, huái qí bì, cóng jìngdào wáng, guī bì yú Zhào.[Pinyin]

     Lin Xiangru reckoned even though the King of Qin agreed to fast, he would certainly break his promise and not hand over the cities.Hence, he ordered his servant to put on ragged clothes, hide the jade under his bosom, and flee Qin on trails, in order to smuggle the jade back to Zhao.

4. (literary)onlythen; not ...until

   Synonym:才(cái)

   • 趙王送璧時齋戒五日。今大王亦宜齋戒五日，設九賓於廷，臣乃敢上璧。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     赵王送璧时斋戒五日。今大王亦宜斋戒五日，设九宾于廷，臣乃敢上璧。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     From: TheRecords of the Grand Historian, bySima Qian,c. 91BCE

     Zhào wáng sòng bì shí zhāijiè wǔ rì. Jīn dàwáng yì yí zhāijiè wǔrì, shè jiǔbīn yú tíng, chénnǎi gǎn shàng bì.[Pinyin]

     The King of Zhao fasted for five days before sending the jade off. Now Your Majesty should also fast for five days, and receive me with the Ceremony of Jiubin at the court. Only then will I dare to present the jade.

   • 沛公謂張良曰：「從此道至吾軍，不過二十里耳。度我至軍中，公乃入。」[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     沛公谓张良曰：「从此道至吾军，不过二十里耳。度我至军中，公乃入。」[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     From: TheRecords of the Grand Historian, bySima Qian,c. 91BCE

     Pèi Gōng wèi Zhāng Liáng yuē: “Cóng cǐ dào zhì wú jūn, bùguò èrshí lǐ ěr. Duò wǒ zhì jūn zhōng, gōngnǎi rù.”[Pinyin]

     Liu Bang said to Zhang Liang, "It is only twentylis from here to our camp.Only after you estimate that I have arrived at our camp should you enter."

5. (literary)but

   • 不見子都，乃見狂且。[Pre-Classical Chinese,trad.]
     不见子都，乃见狂且。[Pre-Classical Chinese,simp.]

     From: TheClassic of Poetry,c. 11^th – 7^th centuriesBCE, translated based onJames Legge's version

     Bù jiàn Zǐdōu,nǎi jiàn kuángqiě.[Pinyin]

     I do not see Zidu,but I see this mad fellow.

   • 11th c.,司馬光 [Sima Guang], “訓儉示康”:

     古人以儉為美德，今人乃以儉相詬病。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     古人以俭为美德，今人乃以俭相诟病。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     Gǔrén yǐ jiǎn wéi měidé, jīnrénnǎi yǐ jiǎn xiāng gòubìng.[Pinyin]

     The ancient people regarded frugality as a virtue,but now people criticize one another for being frugal.

6. (literary)surprisingly;unexpectedly

   Synonym:竟然(jìngrán)

   • 421,陶淵明 [Tao Yuanming], “桃花源記 [The Peach Blossom Spring]”:

     問今是何世，乃不知有漢，無論魏晉。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
     问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏晋。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

     Wèn jīn shì hé shì,nǎi bùzhī yǒu hàn, wúlùn Wèi Jìn.[Pinyin]

     They asked what the current ruling dynasty was.Surprisingly, they had not even heard of the Han, let alone the Wei and the Jin.[Wiktionary translation]

7. (Mainland China, Internetslang, cute-sounding)you (singular)

   乃萌  ― nǎiméng  ― (cute-sounding variant of你們) you (plural)

8. (Northern Wu)now
   • 2007,钱乃荣 [Qian Nairong],上海话大词典 [Shànghǎihuà dàcídiǎn],上海辞书出版社, page14:

     從前伊勿敢跳過去，乃伊勿怕了。[Shanghainese,trad.]
     从前伊勿敢跳过去，乃伊勿怕了。[Shanghainese,simp.]

     ⁶zon-zhi⁶yi⁶veq₈-koe⁵thiau-gu-chi⁶ne⁶yi⁶veq₈-pho⁸leq[Wugniu]

     A long time ago he was scared to jump over, butnow he isn't.

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