Korean

Syllable

나 • ‎(na)

1. A Hangul syllabic block made up of ㄴ and ㅏ.

Etymology 2

Probably cognate with Old Japanese 己 ‎(na, “I”, first-person singular plain (non-polite) pronoun).

Pronoun

나 • ‎(na)

1. I, the first-person singular plain (non-polite) pronoun

Alternative forms

• 내 ‎(nae) (nae)
  • in the nominative case 내가
  • short for the genitive case 나의

Antonyms

• 너 ‎(neo) (neo) you
• 남 ‎(nam) (nam) anybody or somebody other than myself

Related terms

• 너나 ‎(neona) (neona) you and I
  • 너나 없이 (neona eopsi) all of us (equally)
  • 너나 할 것 없이 (neona hal geot eopsi) all of us, without discriminating you and me for example

See also

• 우리 ‎(uri) (uri) we, our
• 저 ‎(jeo) (jeo) - the first person singular polite pronoun

Etymology 3

Of native Korean origin.

Particle

나 • ‎(na)

1. just; at least

   하던 거나 하련다.‎

   Hadeon geona haryeonda.

   Gonna do just what I've been doing.

2. or

   진주나 창원 쪽으로 가려면 몇 번 국도를 타야 하나요?‎

   Jinjuna chang-won jjogeuro garyeomyeon myeot beon gukdoreul taya hanayo?

   What route should I take to get to Jinju or Changwon?

3. no less than

   8km나 걸었는데도 거의 지치지 않은 기색이다.‎

   8km-na georeonneundedo geoui jichiji aneun gisaegida.

   He has walked 5 miles already, but still seems nearly untired.

4. no matter which/who

   누구나 한번쯤은 넘어질 수 있어.‎

   Nuguna hanbeonjjeumeun neomeojil su isseo.

   It's fine. Everyone falls over once or twice.

5. sb said ... (I'm suspicious or not interested, though)

   자기는 몰랐다나, 뭐 그러데.‎

   Jagineun mollatdana, mwo geureode.

   Well, maybe he said he didn't know? Something like that.

Alternative forms

• 이나 (ina)

Usage notes

The particle 나 (na) is used after a vowel, whereas 이나 (ina) is used after a consonant.

Etymology 4

Of native Korean origin.

Suffix

나 • ‎(na)

1. but

   광주·전남지역은 곳에 따라 구름이 많이 끼겠으나 대체로 맑겠습니다.‎

   Gwangju·jeonnamjiyeogeun gose ttara gureumi mani kkigesseuna daechero malgetseumnida.

   Gwangju and Jeonnam region will be partly cloudy, but mostly clear.

2. regardless whether

   있으나 없으나 별 차이가 없다.‎

   Isseuna eopseuna byeol chaiga eopda.

   There's little difference whether there it is or not.

3. (in the form of '-나 -ㄴ') very

   기나긴 여정 끝에 마침내 한국에 도착했다.‎

   Ginagin yeojeong kkeute machimnae han-guge dochakhaetda.

   After the long journey, we finally arrived Korea.

Usage notes

The suffix 나 (na) takes the sequential form of a verb, an adjective, or 이다 (ida, “to be”), and if the stem ends in the consonant ㄹ (l), it drops out.

Etymology 5

Of native Korean origin.

Suffix

나 • ‎(na)

1. a familiar style interrogative suffix

   자네는 전공을 무엇으로 정했나?‎

   Janeneun jeon-gong-eul mueoseuro jeonghaenna?

   What did you choose to major in?

2. (in the form of '-나 하다/싶다/보다') indicates the monologic question or inference

   잘 지내나 싶어서 전화했지.‎

   Jal jinaena sipeoseo jeonhwahaetji.

   I called you to see if you fare well.

   그들도 덥고 힘들긴 마찬가지였나 보다.‎

   Geudeuldo deopgo himdeulgin machan-gajiyeonna boda.

   It looks they also felt hot and tired.

3. a monologic interrogative suffix

   내가 미쳤나, 어떻게 이런 실수를...‎

   Naega michyeonna, eotteoke ireon silsureul...

   I must have been crazy to make this ridiculous mistake..!

Usage notes

The suffix 나 (na) is directly attached to the stem of a verb, or existential adjectives 있다 (itda, “to exist”), 없다 (eopda, “not to exist”), or 계시다 (gyesida, “to exist (honorific)”), or adjectives and 이다 (ida, “to be”) with past or future tense. If the stem ends with the consonant ㄹ (l), it drops out.

Synonyms

• ㄴ가 ‎(n-ga) / 는가 (neun-ga)

Etymology 6

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

나 (na)

1. 亽, 倮, 儸, 儺, 哪, 喇, 嗠, 囉, 奈, 娜, 懦, 懶, 拏, 拿, 挐, 挪, 曪, 梛, 瘰, 癩, 砢, 糥, 糯, 羅, 臝, 蘿, 螺, 蠃, 裸, 邏, 那, 鑼, 陏, 難, 騾, 驘