Writing Balance Rule: The left component (hand radical 扌) should be narrower and slightly higher, while the right phonetic component (那) occupies more weight and width on the right.
1. Meaning
to shift or move something slightly (such as furniture, a position, or time)
to misappropriate funds (often used in financial or legal contexts like 挪用)
VerbNeutral#action#movement#position
Sample Usage
请把椅子挪一下。
Qǐng bǎ yǐzi nuó yíxià.
Please move the chair a bit.
他把时间挪到了明天。
Tā bǎ shíjiān nuódào le míngtiān.
He shifted the time to tomorrow.
2. Sound
/[nu̯ɔ³⁵]/Tone: 35
挪
nuónuo2
|
++
´(35)
=nuó
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
nuo
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
n
Type: Alveolar Nasal
Sounds like: English n sound
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Air passes completely through nose.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tip of the tongue touches the upper alveolar ridge, soft palate lowered to let voice resonate through the nasal cavity.
Final Rhyme
uo
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: -uo rhymes with 'wore' without the r
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'waw'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
3 → 5 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts in the middle pitch and rises sharply to the top, exactly like asking a question in English ('What?').
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2, it undergoes standard Tone 3-like adjustments or remains a crisp rising tone depending on speech tempo, but as a base Tone 2 it rises sharply from mid to high pitch.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the initial 'n-' with 'l-' (saying luó instead of nuó). Ensure the tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge while air flows through the nose for 'n'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture moving upward from chest level to eye level, mirroring an inquiring 'Huh?'
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (hand radical 扌) should be narrower and slightly higher, while the right phonetic component (那) occupies more weight and width on the right.
4. Components
Radical扌 · Hand Radical (Actions involving hands, touching, or moving)
Semantic Clue (形旁):扌 (Indicates physical action done with the hand (shifting or moving objects))
Phonetic Clue (声旁):那 (original sound: nuò / nà)
You use your hand (扌) to shift or move (挪) that thing over there (那).
扌 Hand action semantic indicator
那 Phonetic and conceptual hint for 'that/over there'
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
4· Phonetic Root: 那 (nā)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Combined from the hand radical (扌) representing physical exertion and movement, and (那) providing the phonetic sound and a sense of shifting something to another place ('that' place).
Semantic Evolution: Originally meant to shift or step aside; later broadened to moving physical objects, shifting schedules, and figuratively misappropriating funds.
The right-side component '那' also forms the basis for words indicating location and distance.
6. Sinosphere
Sound Shift Bridge: Mandarin nuó has no direct phonetic cognate in English, but connects conceptually to action verbs like shift or nudge.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You use your HAND (扌) to shift 'THAT' (那) heavy box out of the walkway so people can walk by.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
那
nāsurname NaPhonetic Core (声旁)
哪
nǎwhich, how+ 口 (mouth)
娜
nà(phonetic na); used esp. in female names such as Anna 安娜[An1 na4] or Diana 黛安娜[Dai4 an1 na4]+ 女 (woman)