How to Write 乃 (nǎi) — Meaning “To be, then, or so.”

Imagine a person bending down (the first stroke 丿) and then hooking an object with their arm (the second stroke). This shape looks like a bent nail, and the word '乃' sounds like 'nigh' — you can think 'nigh to bending'.

Write the first left-falling stroke short and at a 45-degree angle. The second stroke must curve smoothly to the right, then down, then hook left — do not make it too straight or too angular.

乃 has two strokes and a hook, while 丹 has three strokes (vertical, dot, horizontal) and looks like a square with a dot. 丿 is just a single stroke and not a character by itself. Also, 乃 means 'then' or 'to be', but 丹 means 'red'.

乃 is a literary character used in formal or classical expressions like 乃是 (nǎi shì, 'is') and 乃至 (nǎi zhì, 'even'). You will find it in written texts, idioms, or historical works, not in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 乃 include: 乃是 (nǎi shì) — Is or be.; 乃至 (nǎi zhì) — Even or and even.; 无乃 (wú nǎi) — isn't it? (literary/rhetorical).