Katakana · n row

ナ (na): katakana stroke order and pronunciation

ナ is the katakana for na, the a sound of the n row. It is written with 2 strokes. Its hiragana twin is な (na).

ナ
12
Romaji
na
Strokes
2
Listen
Play na

How to write ナ, stroke by stroke

Each frame adds one stroke. The number sits where the stroke starts; strokes run left to right and top to bottom.

  1. 1stroke 1
  2. 12stroke 2

How to say na

Tip: like 'na' in 'nap'

A plus sign with a long tail.

ナ in a word

The course introduces ナ with ナイフ (knife).

The n row

The n row keeps one consonant and runs through the five vowels, so ナ differs from its neighbours only in the vowel. Reading the row as a set fixes the pattern:

  • ナ naナイフ (knife)
  • ニ niニュース (news)
  • ヌ nuヌードル (noodle)
  • ネ neネクタイ (necktie)
  • ノ noノート (notebook)

The same sound in hiragana

Stroke-order data from KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

Practice this in Open Lingo

The Open Lingo Japanese course teaches ナ with tracing practice, a listening drill and spaced review, then uses it in real words within the same lesson.

Practice this in Open Lingo

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