拿

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to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take; (used in the same way as 把[ba3]: to mark the following noun as a direct object)

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

手 meaning “hand” + 合 sound ( hé )

Components 合手

hold · Heisig RSH #587

合 fit + 手 hand

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
拿不出手	ná bù chū shǒu	not presentable; shoddy and too embarrassing to show
加拿大太平洋铁路	Jiā ná dà Tài píng yáng Tiě lù	Canadian Pacific Railway
巴拿马运河	Bā ná mǎ Yùn hé	Panama Canal
加拿大皇家海军	Jiā ná dà Huáng jiā Hǎi jūn	Royal Canadian Navy
巴拿马城	Bā ná mǎ Chéng	Panama City
拿得起放得下	ná de qǐ fàng de xià	lit. can pick it up or put it down (idiom); fig. to take what comes; to meet gains or loss…
吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手短	chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn	lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't rea…
拿来主义	ná lái zhǔ yì	the attitude of mechanically borrowing (ideas etc)
拿不动	ná bu dòng	to be unable to lift (sth); to find (sth) too heavy
加拿大皇家	Jiā ná dà Huáng jiā	HMCS (Her Majesty's Canadian Ship); prefix for Canadian Navy Vessels
巴拿马	Bā ná mǎ	Panama
加拿大	Jiā ná dà	Canada
亚米拿达	Yà mǐ ná dá	Amminadab (son of Ram)
拿主意	ná zhǔ yi	to make a decision; to make up one's mind
拿一血	ná yī xuè	(gaming) to get first blood; (slang) to take (sb's) virginity
手拿包	shǒu ná bāo	clutch bag
波拿巴	Bō ná bā	Bonaparte (name); Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor of France 1804-1815
士巴拿	shì bā ná	(dialect) spanner (loanword)
拿手菜	ná shǒu cài	specialty (dish)
汉拿山	Hàn ná Shān	Hallasan Mountain or Mount Halla, highest mountain in South Korea

Characters sharing the sound component 合 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
合 sound part	hé	to combine, to join, to unite; to gather
哈	hā	the sound of laughter
给	gěi	to give, to lend; for, by
盒	hé	small box or case; casket
鸽	gē	pigeon, dove; Columba species (various)
恰	qià	just, exactly, precisely; proper
蛤	gé	clam
颌	hé	mouth; jaw
龛	kān	niche, shrine
峇	bā	cave, cavern
袷	jiá	lined garment
荅	dá	to answer; small bean; thick, heavy
饸	hé	buckwheat or sorghum noodles
耠	huō	to dig, to till
铪	hā	hafnium