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Definition 2024


U+30CB, ニ
KATAKANA LETTER NI

[U+30CA]
Katakana
[U+30CC]
See also:

Ainu

Noun

(ni)

  1. tree

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ni]

Etymology

Simplified in the Heian period from the man'yōgana kanji or .

Syllable

(romaji ni)

  1. The katakana syllable (ni). Its equivalent in hiragana is (ni). It is the twenty-second syllable in the gojūon order; its position is (na-gyō i-dan, row na, section i).

Usage notes

Unlike the hiragana system, used for Japanese language words that kanji does not cover, the katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of loan words (collectively gairaigo), as well as to represent onomatopoeia, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. [edit]

See also