纳尼
nàní
To say nani in Chinese, the Japanese exclamation of surprise, write 纳尼 (nàní).
纳尼 is used mainly in online subcultures, especially among anime fans, to show exaggerated shock or disbelief.
Which one should you use?
For an everyday what in Chinese, use 什么 (shénme). 纳尼 is used only for comic or dramatic effect.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
纳尼 is internet slang and not part of standard formal Chinese.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern China shénma is also heard in place of shénme.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is nàní, with a falling tone and then a rising tone.
Did you know?
- While 纳尼 mimics a Japanese word, the character 纳 actually means 'to accept' or 'to pay' in standard Chinese, and 尼 refers to a 'Buddhist nun'.
- Using 纳尼 in a Chinese social media post often signals that the writer is a member of the 'Otaku' community, acting as a linguistic secret handshake.
- Unlike the Japanese word it mimics, which is a standard question word, the Chinese 纳尼 is almost never used to actually ask for information.
Examples in context
- 纳尼？你真的要辞职吗？Náni? Nǐ zhēn de yào cízhí ma?Nani? Are you really going to quit your job?
Example conversation
Haoran tells Zihan a surprising piece of news.
- 浩然 Haoran梓涵，我明天要去国外了。Zǐhán, wǒ míngtiān yào qù guówài le.Zihan, I'm going abroad tomorrow.
- 梓涵 Zihan纳尼？这么突然！Nà ní? Zhème tūrán!What? So sudden!
- 浩然 Haoran是的，公司突然安排的。Shì de, gōngsī tūrán ānpái de.Yes, the company arranged it suddenly.
- 梓涵 Zihan我还没准备好跟你告别。Wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo gēn nǐ gàobié.I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet.
