那 means “that, what”

な · na

Also: what?

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

なに, なんぞ, いかん

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ナ, ダ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

In Chinese 那 is still the everyday word for "that", but Japan uses it mostly for its sound. 旦那, husband or master, once meant a temple's patron, from the Sanskrit dana, alms-giving; 刹那 is Sanskrit too, and Okinawa's capital is 那覇.

Used in 旦那 (danna, husband/master), 刹那 (setsuna, instant), and 那覇 (naha, Naha, Okinawa's capital)

More from Formal Words

• 該 the said
• 弥 more and more
• 如 like
• 宜 fitting
• 猶 delay
• 又 again
• 甚 extremely
• 但 however
• 且 moreover
• 僅 only
• 及 reach
• 故 cause

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.