How to write 拿 (ná, “to hold”)

拿 (ná), an HSK 2 character, means “to hold”, “to seize” and “to catch”. It is HSK 2 in the 2025 syllabus, up from level 1 in the 2021 standard. It pairs a meaning part, 手 (“hand”), with a sound part, 合 (“together”). On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 拿手 (“expert in”), 桑拿 (“(loanword) sauna”) and 大拿 (“man in power”). Japanese reads it da, “catch”.

Pinyin: ná
Strokes: 10
HSK: 2
Radical: 手 (“hand”)

Stroke by stroke

As a top-bottom character it splits into 合 (“together”), strokes 1–6; 手 (“hand”, the radical), strokes 7–10, written the top first.

topdown and left
topdown and right → rightwards
toprightwards
top leftdownwards
centerrightwards
centerrightwards
centerleftwards
leftrightwards
bottom leftrightwards
centerdownwards → leftwards

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (10 strokes in Japanese, 10 strokes in Chinese).

Japanese · KanjiVG · 10 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 10 strokes

Where 拿 comes from

hand

Meaning part: 手 (“hand”)
Sound part: 合 (“together”)

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

Pinyin	Meanings	Traditional	In words
ná second tone	to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take	—	拿手桑拿大拿手拿

HSK 2025 syllabus: level 2
2021 standard: level 1
HSK 2.0: in a level 3 word
Words with it: 51 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 拿

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
拿	ná	to hold; to seize HSK 2
拿手	náshǒu	expert in; good at HSK 7-9
桑拿	sāngná	(loanword) sauna HSK 7-9
大拿	dàná	man in power; boss
手拿	shǒuná	to hold in one's hand
拿下	náxià	to arrest; to capture
拿人	nárén	making things awkward; to cause difficulties
拿出	náchū	to take out; to put out
拿到	nádào	to get; to obtain
拿大	nádà	to put on airs; self-important

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.

Keep going

HSK 2, in list order: