How to Write 纳 (nà) — Meaning “to accept; to pay; to admit”

Imagine a silk thread (纟) tying up a bag of money that you are paying (纳) inside a box (内). The 'inside' part reminds you that payment goes into someone else's hands, or that you accept something into your own possession.

Write the left radical 纟 first as three strokes — note the hook on the third stroke. Then write the right component 内: the outer 冂 (down, right, up) and the inner 人 (person). Keep the right part vertically aligned and slightly narrower than the left so the character stays balanced.

纳 (nà) means to pay, accept, or admit, while 纠 (jiū) means to correct, twist, or investigate, and 纡 (yū) means to bend or circuitous. Visually, 纳 has the right component 内, 纠 has 丩 (a twisted line), and 纡 has 于 (yu). Their pronunciations and uses are completely distinct.

纳 appears in formal or administrative contexts, such as 缴纳 (to pay taxes or fees) and 接纳 (to admit a member). It is also used in 归纳 (to summarize, literally to induce into categories). Culturally, 纳 conveys a sense of orderly collection or inclusion, often in official or systematic processes.

Common words containing 纳 include: 缴纳 (jiǎo nà) — to pay (taxes, fees, etc.); 接纳 (jiē nà) — to admit / to accept; 归纳 (guī nà) — To summarize; to induce.