乃 Component
nǎi · then; be
Look for 乃 inside new characters. It often works like a nǎi sound clue; the changing part usually tells you the meaning area.
How to Use It
Use the component as a reading move, then confirm the full character.
Spot 乃
Find the repeated shape before trying to read the whole character.
Use the sound clue
Treat 乃 as a hint that the character may sound like nǎi.
Check the change
Use the other component for the meaning area, then confirm the pinyin, meaning, and stroke order.
Read the Pattern
Start with the shared clue, compare what changes, then try the same move on more characters.
Shared clue
usually hints at a nǎi-like sound.
The changing part often points to meaning, while 乃 keeps the sound family visible. Use both clues before memorizing the whole character.
乃 Component FAQ
Common questions about using 乃 as a Chinese character component.
What is the 乃 component in Chinese characters?
乃 (nǎi) is a Chinese character component meaning "then; be". On HanziStroke it is taught as a sound clue, with 4 related characters available for stroke order practice and vocabulary study.
Is 乃 a radical or a component?
乃 can be part of a character structure. A radical is the dictionary indexing component, while a component is any meaningful or phonetic building block inside a character. This page focuses on 乃 as a learning pattern.
How does 乃 help me remember characters?
Use 乃 as a visual sound anchor, then compare the added component to separate the meanings and confirm the exact pronunciation.