() — (bound form) to receive; to accept; (bound form) to pay; to offer; (bound form) to enjoy

Definition

纳 (nà) is a bound form — it has no standalone meaning in modern Chinese. It is a literary prefix in words like 采纳 (adopt), 缴纳 (pay), and 纳税 (pay tax).

bound form
to receiveto acceptto payto offerto enjoy

Examples

  • Wǒ men cǎi nà le tā de jiàn yì.
    We adopted his suggestion.
  • Gōng sī měi yuè dōu yào jiǎo nà shuì kuǎn.
    The company has to pay taxes every month.
  • Tā zài shù yīn xià nà liáng.
    He is enjoying the cool in the shade of a tree.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 納; 纳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
silk, thin thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
nèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 納 has 糸 (silk, thin thread) and 内, which gives the sound; the simplified 纳 is a shorthand.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.