Japanese

Adverb

中々 ‎(hiragana なかなか, romaji nakanaka)

1. very, quite, considerably, rather
2. by no means (with negative verb)
   • 1906, Natsume Sōseki, Botchan:

     くだらないから、すぐ寝 (ね)たが、なかなか寝 (ね)られない。

     Kudaranai kara, sugu neta ga, nakanaka nerarenai.

     There was nothing doing, so I went to bed, but could not sleep.