拿 (ná) is the hand verb. Its whole meaning circles around the physical act of grasping: pick something up, hold it, carry it in your hand, fetch it. 拿书 is "pick up a book", 拿钱 "take money (out)", 手里拿着一把伞 "holding an umbrella". Because the hand is always implied, 拿 stays close and concrete — you 拿 things you can physically grip right now, which is exactly what separates it from 带 (dài) "have with you as you travel" and 送 (sòng) "deliver / hand over to someone". Learners who reach for 拿 as an all-purpose "take" import the wrong picture; keep it in the hand and it behaves.
Sense 1: take hold of / pick up / hold
The core: get your hand on something and lift or grip it. With 着 it becomes "holding" (a state); with 起来 it's "pick up".
她手里拿着一把伞。
tā shǒu lǐ názhe yì bǎ sǎn
She's holding an umbrella. — 拿着 'holding', the durative state.
请把桌上那本书拿给我。
qǐng bǎ zhuō shàng nà běn shū ná gěi wǒ
Please pass me that book on the table. — 拿给 'take and hand to'.
别把我的杯子拿走。
bié bǎ wǒ de bēizi názǒu
Don't take my cup away. — 拿走 'take away'.
Sense 2: get / fetch — with 来 / 去
拿 loves a directional. 拿来 (nálái) "bring (here)", 拿去 (náqù) "take (away)", 拿出来 (ná chūlái) "take out". On its own, "去拿" means "go fetch". The direction is what tells the listener which way the object travels.
帮我把盐拿过来，好吗？
bāng wǒ bǎ yán ná guòlái, hǎo ma
Bring me the salt, would you? — 拿过来 'fetch it over here'.
我去房间拿一下手机，马上回来。
wǒ qù fángjiān ná yíxià shǒujī, mǎshàng huílái
I'll go grab my phone from the room, be right back. — 去拿 'go fetch'.
这些旧衣服你拿去吧，我用不着了。
zhèxiē jiù yīfu nǐ náqù ba, wǒ yòng bu zháo le
Take these old clothes — I don't need them anymore. — 拿去 'take away'.
Sense 3: 拿 as an instrument coverb (colloquial)
In casual speech 拿 can introduce the tool you do something with, just like 用 (yòng): 拿筷子吃 "eat with chopsticks", 拿钥匙开门 "open the door with a key". 用 is the standard, especially in writing; 拿 is the chatty, everyday alternative.
中国人一般拿筷子吃饭。
zhōngguó rén yìbān ná kuàizi chī fàn
Chinese people usually eat with chopsticks. — 拿 as instrument, = 用筷子.
Sense 4: obtain, and the idiom 拿手
拿到 (nádào) means "get hold of / obtain" (a prize, a license, a grade). And 拿手 (náshǒu) — literally "take-in-hand" — means "be good at", a skill so practiced it's right there in your hands. 拿手菜 is your "signature dish".
他终于拿到了驾照。
tā zhōngyú nádào le jiàzhào
He finally got his driver's license. — 拿到 'obtain'.
红烧肉是我爸最拿手的菜。
hóngshāo ròu shì wǒ bà zuì náshǒu de cài
Braised pork is my dad's best signature dish. — 拿手 'be expert at'.
Key collocations
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拿着 | názhe | be holding |
| 拿来 / 拿去 | nálái / náqù | bring here / take away |
| 拿走 | názǒu | take away, carry off |
| 拿出来 | ná chūlái | take out |
| 拿到 | nádào | get, obtain |
| 拿不动 | ná bu dòng | can't lift (too heavy) |
| 拿主意 | ná zhǔyi | make a decision |
| 拿手 | náshǒu | be good at, expert |
| 拿手菜 | náshǒu cài | signature dish |
Grammar notes: 拿 vs 带 vs 送, and the potential 拿不动
拿 takes 了, 着, and directional/potential complements freely. Its meaning sits inside a trio worth keeping straight: 带 (dài) is "have it with you as you go" (带护照 "bring your passport" on a trip), while 送 (sòng) is "deliver / hand it over" for someone else's sake. Concretely: you 拿 the umbrella off the rack, 带 it out the door with you, and 送 it to a friend who forgot theirs.
The potential form deserves a flag: 拿得动 / 拿不动 (ná de dòng / ná bu dòng) = "can / can't lift" (a question of strength, i.e. whether it's too heavy). Don't say 不能拿 for that — 不能拿 means "not allowed to take". See the potential complement overview.
Common Mistakes
1. Using 拿 for "bring along on a trip". 拿 is grab-it-in-your-hand-now; carrying something with you as you travel is 带.
❌ 明天去旅行，记得拿护照。
Off — 拿护照 pictures physically holding the passport. For 'bring your passport (on the trip)', use 带.
✅ 明天去旅行，记得带护照。
míngtiān qù lǚxíng, jìde dài hùzhào
We're travelling tomorrow — remember to bring your passport.
2. Dropping 来 / 去 when direction matters. For "bring it over", a bare 拿 leaves the direction hanging.
❌ 你能把那杯咖啡拿吗？
Incomplete if you mean 'bring it here' — add a directional: 拿来 / 拿过来.
✅ 你能把那杯咖啡拿过来吗？
nǐ néng bǎ nà bēi kāfēi ná guòlái ma
Could you bring that cup of coffee over?
3. Using 拿 for giving a gift. Handing over a present as a gesture of giving is 送, not 拿.
❌ 生日的时候我拿一件礼物给她。
拿…给 is 'physically pass her an object'; for 'give her a gift' the verb is 送.
✅ 生日的时候我送她一件礼物。
shēngrì de shíhou wǒ sòng tā yí jiàn lǐwù
I'll give her a present for her birthday.
4. Saying 不能拿 for "can't lift". Weight is a potential-complement matter: 拿不动.
❌ 这个箱子太重了，我不能拿。
不能拿 = 'not allowed to take it'. For 'it's too heavy to lift', use 拿不动.
✅ 这个箱子太重了，我拿不动。
zhège xiāngzi tài zhòng le, wǒ ná bu dòng
This box is too heavy — I can't lift it.
Key Takeaways
- 拿 = grasp / hold / carry in the hand — 拿书, 拿着伞, 拿走. Always physical, always the hand.
- Pair it with 来 / 去 to set direction: 拿来 (bring), 拿去 (take), 拿过来 (fetch over).
- Colloquially 拿 = 用 as an instrument coverb: 拿筷子吃 = 用筷子吃.
- Keep the trio apart: 拿 grab in hand · 带 carry along on a trip · 送 deliver / give.
- Weight uses the potential: 拿不动 "can't lift" (≠ 不能拿 "not allowed"). And remember the idiom 拿手 "be good at".
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- 带 (dài) — bring / take / carry / leadHSK 3 — 带 (dài) is 'have with you / carry along' — 带钱, 带伞, 带护照 — and with 来/去 it covers both English 'bring' and 'take'; it also means 'lead' (带路, 带孩子). Beware the homophone 戴 (wear accessories).
- 用 (yòng) — to use / withHSK 2 — 用 (yòng) is both the full verb 'to use' (用电脑, 用筷子) and the instrument coverb 'with / by means of' that sits BEFORE the verb (用中文写 'write in Chinese'); its negation 不用 means 'no need', not 'can't use'.