Na Ni Nu

Katakana 1

Chapter 9 · Na Ni Nu

🌿 The N Row Begins — ナニヌ

Three new characters: ナ (na), ニ (ni) and ヌ (nu). Don't confuse this "n" row with the lone character ン (n) that you'll meet in Chapter 18. Romaji is shown for everything.

✨ Your Three New Characters — ナニヌ

ナ

like "na" in nacho ("nah")

2 strokes · stroke order ▸

Memory hook: a nature-trail signpost: a post with a crossbar near the top. Hiragana twin: な.

ニ

like "knee", short ("nee")

2 strokes · stroke order ▸

Memory hook: the number two: two bars. In Japanese the word for two is ni, and ニ comes from the kanji 二 (two). Hiragana twin: に.

ヌ

like "noo" in noon, relaxed ("noo")

2 strokes · stroke order ▸

Memory hook: a noodle twirled on chopsticks: a hook and a crossing swirl. Hiragana twin: ぬ.

Katakana	Hiragana twin	Romaji
ナ	な	na
ニ	に	ni
ヌ	ぬ	nu

Look-Alikes: ヌ and ス, ニ and ミヌ (nu) is close to ス (su), which you met in Chapter 5: ヌ has an extra small tail where its lines cross, which ス does not have. Compare them on the stroke-order pages. And ニ (ni) is two horizontal lines, whereas ミ (mi), which comes in Chapter 13, is three slanting lines. Horizontal and two means ni; slanting and three means mi.

📖 Read It — Real Words

#	Word	Romaji	English	Note
1	ツナ	tsuna	tuna	tsu-na
2	ナース	nāsu	nurse	na-a-su
3	テニス	tenisu	tennis	te-ni-su
4	ナイス	naisu	nice ("Nice one!")	na-i-su; said when someone does well
5	ナイト	naito	night; knight	na-i-to
6	ケニア	Kenia	Kenya	ke-ni-a
7	カヌー	kanū	canoe	ka-nu-u
8	テナー	tenā	tenor	te-na-a

Borrowed Meanings Look at ナイス: it's the English word nice, but Japanese uses it as a casual cheer, something like "Nice one!" or "Well done!" when a friend scores in a game. Katakana words sometimes drift from their English meaning, so treat the English as a hint, not a guarantee: ナース is a nurse, but a ナイト can be a night or a knight.

✍️ Try It Yourself — れんしゅう

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Read aloud: ナ · ニ · ヌ

Show answer

na · ni · nu

2. Read aloud and translate: ツナ · ナース · テニス

Show answer

tsuna (tuna) · nāsu (nurse) · tenisu (tennis)

3. Read aloud and translate: ナイス · ナイト

Show answer

naisu (nice) · naito (night; knight)

4. Read aloud and translate: ケニア · カヌー

Show answer

Kenia (Kenya) · kanū (canoe)

5. How can you tell ニ (ni) from ミ (mi, coming in Chapter 13)?

Show answer

ニ is two horizontal lines; ミ is three slanting lines.

6. Write in katakana: tenisu · tsuna · nāsu (check the stroke order).

Show answer

テニス · ツナ · ナース

Coming Up in Chapter 5 Two more N sounds: ネ (ne) and ノ (no). You'll read ノート (notebook) and ネクタイ (necktie), and see how simple ノ is, a single stroke.

Na Ni Nu

🌿 The N Row Begins — ナ ニ ヌ

✨ Your Three New Characters — ナ ニ ヌ

📖 Read It — Real Words

✍️ Try It Yourself — れんしゅう

🌿 The N Row Begins — ナニヌ

✨ Your Three New Characters — ナニヌ