儂 (nóng) - You (singular, informal, especially in Wu Chinese dialects) & I/me (in some classical contexts)

儂Tone 2

nóng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

儂 · nóng

You (singular, informal, especially in Wu Chinese dialects);

I/me (in some classical contexts);

person, fellow.

You (singular, informal, especially in Wu Chinese dialects)I/me (in some classical contexts)person, fellow.

Usage highlights

YouHow are you?Your bookThat personI/meWu Chinese dialect

Synonyms

  • 你— you (standard Mandarin)
  • 您— you (polite/formal)

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • How are you?(侬好伐？)
  • I don't understand.(侬勿懂。)
  • That person is my friend.(格个侬是我朋友。)
  • In classical poetry, 侬 sometimes means 'I'.(古代诗词中，侬有时指'我'。)
  • This is your book.(格是侬个书。)

Collocations

  • You (singular, informal)(侬)
  • How are you?(侬好伐？)
  • Your book(侬个书)
  • That person(格个侬)
  • I/me (classical)(侬)
  • Wu Chinese dialect(吴语侬)

Idioms

  • I alone know this feeling(个中侬自知)
  • Where is that person from?(何处是侬乡？)
  • You and I are of one heart(侬心我心)
  • The person has gone, the feeling remains(人去情留侬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 侬 is primarily used as the second-person singular pronoun 'you' in Wu Chinese dialects, especially in Shanghai and surrounding areas.
  • In classical Chinese poetry, 侬 could mean 'I' or 'me', showing a reversal of usage between historical and modern dialects.
  • The character embodies the linguistic diversity of Chinese, where the same character serves different grammatical functions across dialects and time periods.

FAQ