ん

See also: ん゙, 𬼂, h, ƕ, and խ

ん U+3093, ん HIRAGANA LETTER N ← を [U+3092] Hiragana ゔ → [U+3094]

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

• The realization of this phoneme depends on its phonetic context, as follows:

• IPA^(key): [n] before t, d, n, r, ts, z (phonetically: [t, d, n, ɾ, ts, dz])
• IPA^(key): [m] before m, p, b
• IPA^(key): [ŋ] before k, g
• IPA^(key): [ɲ] before ni, ch, j (phonetically: [ɲ, tɕ, dʑ])
• IPA^(key): [ɴ] at the end of utterances
• IPA^(key): [ɰ̃] before vowels, approximants (w, y), and fricatives (h, f, s, sh), often causing nasalization of the preceding vowel

• When speakers wish to convey the consonant very clearly, for example in classical singing or when spelling things out to someone who can't hear the speaker well, [m] may be used in place of [ɴ], and potentially even in all other positions.

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 无 in the cursive sōsho style. ん and む were originally both used for both the n and mu sounds; ん was designated as n in the script reform.

Syllable

ん • (n) 

1. The hiragana syllable ん (n). Its equivalent in katakana is ン (n). It is the forty-eighth syllable in the gojūon order.

See also

The Hiragana script
あぁ あ゙	かゕ がか゚	さ ざさ゚	た だた゚	な	は ばぱ	ま	やゃ	ら ら゚	わゎ わ゙	ん ん゙
いぃ い゙	き ぎき゚	し じし゚	ち ぢち゚	に	ひ びぴ	み	𛀆	り り゚	ゐ𛅐 ゐ゙
うぅ ゔう゚	く ぐく゚	す ずす゚	つっ づつ゚	ぬ	ふ ぶぷ	む	ゆゅ	る る゚	𛄟
えぇ え゙	けゖ げけ゚	せ ぜせ゚	て でて゚	ね	へ べぺ	め	𛀁	れ れ゚	ゑ𛅑 ゑ゙
おぉ お゙	こ𛄲 ごこ゚	そ ぞそ゚	と どと゚	の	ほ ぼぽ	も	よょ	ろ ろ゚	を𛅒 を゙
Additional symbols:   ーゝゞゝ゚ゟ

Etymology 2

/nu/ → /n/, /ŋ/

An abbreviation of the negative ending ぬ (nu).

Suffix

ん • (-n) 

1. (after the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of a verb): negative form of verbs

   分(わ)からん

   wakaran

   I don't know.

   許(ゆる)せんぞ

   yurusen zo

   This is unforgivable!

   • 北大路魯山人, 『味覚馬鹿』

     あるといえばあるが、しかし、ほんとうのことはわからん。[1]

     Aru to ieba aru ga, shikashi, hontō no koto wa wakaran.

     There is, to be sure, but, I don't know the facts.

Usage notes

• The negative usage of ん (-n) is a colloquial form of ぬ (nu), and this is mainly used in western Japanese dialects.
  • Since ない is adopted as a standard form for the negative suffix in modern Japanese, ん gives a dialectal or very casual impression compared to ない today except that it is standard when forming the negative of ます (-masu), ません (-masen).
  • On the other hand, ん is common in fictional dialogue attributed to archaic or pompous characters.
• This is potentially ambiguous with the volitional ん as both attach to the irrealis, so the intended meaning must be discerned from context.
• This word is morphologically an inflectional suffix. It is classified as 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”) in traditional Japanese grammar.

Synonyms

• (casual) ない (nai)
• (formal) ません (masen)
• (written formal) ず (zu)
• (Kansai) へん (hen)

See also

Japanese basic inflections

			Verbs	-i adjectives	nouns and -na adjectives
Nonpast	Plain	Affirmative	Use the dictionary form	stem + い (-i)	noun + だ (da) (noun + である (de aru))
		Negative	mizenkei + ない (-nai)	stem + くない (-ku nai)	noun + で（は）ない (de [wa] nai)
	Polite	Affirmative	ren'yōkei + ます (-masu)	stem + いです (-i desu)	noun + です (desu)
		Negative	ren'yōkei + ません (-masen)	stem + くないです (-ku nai desu) stem + くありません (-ku arimasen)	noun + で（は）ないです (de [wa] nai desu) noun + で（は）ありません (de [wa] arimasen)
Past	Plain	Affirmative	ren'yōkei (with onbin sound changes for Group I verbs) + た (-ta)	stem + かった (-katta)	noun + だった (datta) (noun + であった (de atta))
		Negative	mizenkei + なかった (-nakatta)	stem + くなかった (-ku nakatta)	noun + で（は）なかった (de [wa] nakatta)
	Polite	Affirmative	ren'yōkei + ました (-mashita)	stem + かったです (-katta desu)	noun + でした (deshita)
		Negative	ren'yōkei + ませんでした (-masen deshita)	stem + くなかったです (-ku nakatta desu) stem + くありませんでした (-ku arimasen deshita)	noun + で（は）なかったです (de [wa] nakatta desu) noun + で（は）ありませんでした (de [wa] arimasen deshita)
Volitional	Plain		mizenkei (of Group I verbs) + う (-u > -o) mizenkei (of other verbs) + よう (-yō)	†stem + かろう (-karō) (stem + いだろう (-i darō))	noun + だろう (darō) (noun + であろう (de arō))
	Polite		ren'yōkei + ましょう (-mashō)	(stem + いでしょう (-i deshō))	noun + でしょう (deshō)
Conjunctive			ren'yōkei (with onbin sound changes for Group I verbs) + て (-te)	stem + くて (-kute)	noun + で (de) (noun + であって (de atte))
Hypothetical conditional			kateikei + ば (-ba)	stem + ければ (-kereba)	(noun + であれば (de areba))

Etymology 3

/mu/ → /n/, /ŋ/

An abbreviation of the intentional, volitional, and suppositional ending む (mu).

Alternative forms

• (reflex in modern language) う (-u)

Suffix

ん • (-n) 

1. (no longer productive, archaic) (after the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of a verb): volitional form of verbs

   いざ行(ゆ)かん

   iza yukan

   Let's go.

   神(かみ)の御(ご)加(か)護(ご)があらんことを

   kami no go-kago ga aran koto o

   God bless you.

   (literally, “May God's protection be with you.”)

   • 北大路魯山人, 『味覚馬鹿』

     高(こう)級(きゅう)食(しょっ)器(き)、美(び)器(き)をつくらんとするものは、美(び)食(しょく)に通(つう)ずべし。[2]

     Kōkyū shokki, biki o tsukuran to suru mono wa, bishoku ni tsūzu beshi.

     He who tries to make high-class tableware and beautyware, must be familiar with epicurism.

   • 2004, Murakoshi, Suguru and trans. Blaustein, Jeremy, et al., quoting note on door, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Tokyo: Konami, PlayStation 2; Xbox; PC, level/area: One Truth room:

     汝、最深部へ行くには　一つの真実を倒せ
     さすればこの扉開かれん

     nanji, saishinbu e iku ni wa / hitotsu no shinjitsu o taose
     sa sureba kono tobira hirakaren

     To reach the deepest part, you must / defeat the One Truth.
     Do so and this door will open.

     (literally, “Thou, in going to the deepest part, / defeat the One Truth
     If you do thusly this door would be opened”)

Usage notes

• The volitional usage of ん (-n) is a colloquial form of む (mu), and this is usually used to impart a literary style in modern Japanese.
• This is potentially ambiguous with the negative ん as both attach to the irrealis, so the intended meaning must be discerned from context.
• In modern Japanese, this is more commonly realized as the う (-u > -ō) or よう (-yō) volitional verb ending. See the etymology of suffix よう (-yō) for more.
• This word is morphologically an inflectional suffix. It is classified as 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”) in traditional Japanese grammar.

Etymology 4

/no/ → /n/, /ŋ/

Regular contraction of the possessive or nominalizing particle の (no). This contracted form is considered informal.

Particle

ん • (n) 

1. (informal) contraction of の (no)

   俺(おれ)ん家(ち)に来(こ)ない？

   Ore n chi ni konai?

   Wanna come to my place?

   あの、聞(き)きたいことがあるんだけど。

   Ano, kikitai koto ga aru n da kedo.

   Excuse me, I have a question that I would like to ask.

   • 甲賀三郎, 『蜘蛛』

     「とたてぐもの一(いっ)種(しゅ)なんだよ。潮(しお)見(み)君(くん)は毒(どく)蜘(ぐ)蛛(も)と間(ま)違(ちが)えたんだよ」[3]

     “Totategumo no isshu na n da yo. Shiomi-kun wa dokugumo to machigaeta n da yo”

     "It's a type of trapdoor spider. You've mistaken it for a venomous spider."

Etymology 5

/r-/ → /r/ → /n/, /ŋ/

Regular contraction of various morae preceding another mora starting with a nasalized consonant, such as /n/ or /d/. This contracted form is considered informal.

Combining form

ん 

1. contraction of ら (ra)

   家(いえ)に帰(かえ)らなきゃ。 → 家(いえ)に帰(かえ)んなきゃ。

   Ie ni kaeranakya. → Ie ni kaennakya.

   I must go home.

   涙(なみだ)が止(と)まらない → 涙(なみだ)が止(と)まんない

   namida ga tomaranai → namida ga tomannai

   the tears won't stop

2. contraction of り (ri)

   入(はい)りなさい！ → 入(はい)んなさい！

   Hairi nasai! → Hain nasai!

   Come in!

3. contraction of る (ru)

   何(なに)しているの？ → 何(なに)してるの？ → 何(なに)してんの？

   Nani shite iru no? → Nani shiteru no? → Nani shiten no?

   What are you doing? → What ya doing? → What'cha doin'?

   ふざけるな！→ふざけんな！

   Fuzakeru na! → Fuzaken na!

   Stop playing around!

   気(き)にするな → 気(き)にすんな

   ki ni suru na → ki ni sun na

   Don't mind.

4. contraction of れ (re)

   信(しん)じられない。 → 信(しん)じらんない。

   Shinjirarenai. → Shinjirannai.

   I can't believe it.

   それで→そんで

   sore de → son de

   and so

5. contraction of ろ (ro)

   色(いろ)々(いろ)な物(もの)。 → 色(いろ)んな物(もの)。

   Iroironamono. → Ironnamono.

   various things

   • In this case, い is contracted by being dropped, similar to 〜ている → 〜てる (as evidenced by instances of 色々な being realized in speech as いろろな), and ろ is contracted by undergoing a sound change. This sound change almost never happens, and as such, it is more of an etymological explanation of 色んな (or similar, if any) rather than a general combining form of ん for ろ.

Etymology 6

Possibly a reduced form of ちゃん.

Suffix

ん • (-n) 

1. (women's speech) added to female names or parts of them to express affection

   栞(しおり) → しおりん, 一美(かずみ) → ずみん, 茜(あかね) → ねん

   Shiori → Shiorin, Kazumi → Zumin, Akane → Nen

   Shiori → Shiorin, Kazumi → Zumin, Akane → Nen (nicknames)

Miyako

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *ni, from Proto-Japonic *ni. Cognate with Japanese に (ni).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n/

Particle

ん (n) 

1. (locative marker) in; to; for; at