な (negative imperative)

• Reading: な
• Romaji: na
• Formation: Verb (dictionary form) + な

Meaning

A sentence-final particle that forms a negative command, telling someone not to do something. It is used exclusively in very informal male speech and conveys a strong, direct prohibition equivalent to 'Don't...!' in English.

な attaches directly to the dictionary form of a verb to create a blunt negative command: 行くな means 'Don't go!' and 触るな means 'Don't touch!' This form is characteristically masculine and rough — it is typical of speech between close male friends, from fathers to children, or in heated situations. Using な as a negative imperative in polite or mixed-gender contexts sounds rude or aggressive. Women and speakers seeking a softer tone use ないで or ないでください instead: 行かないでください means 'Please don't go.' Learners must be careful not to confuse this prohibitive な with the sentence-final な that expresses admiration or self-directed musing (きれいだな 'How beautiful'), which has a completely different intonation and meaning. The prohibitive な carries a sharp, falling intonation, while the admirative な has a softer, lingering quality.

Examples

1. ここに触るな。 Don't touch this.
2. うそをつくな。 Don't lie.
3. 一人で行くな。 Don't go alone.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken

Tone: commanding

Do Say

• ふざけるな。
• まだ帰るな。
• 遅れるなよ。

Don't Say

• 先生、走るな。(Using な to a teacher or superior — this is rude; use ないでください for polite requests) → 先生、走らないでください。
• ここで食べないな。(Attaching な to the ない form — な must follow the dictionary form, not the negative form) → ここで食べるな。

Origin & History

The prohibitive な descends from the classical Japanese negative imperative particle な, which originally attached to the 連用形 (continuative form). By the early modern period, it shifted to attaching to the dictionary form, yielding the construction used in modern Japanese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal