na
An informal greeting or brief way of starting a conversation, often meaning “how are you?” or “what’s new?”
EXAMPLE
Na, wie geht's dir heute?
So, how are you today?
na
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Meanings
na
Expresses surprise, doubt, impatience, or mild reproach, and often prompts a reaction or answer.
EXAMPLE
Na, hast du den Schlüssel nun endlich gefunden?
So, have you finally found the key?
na und?
so what?
Expresses that a stated fact is not particularly important or should have no consequences.
EXAMPLE
Na und, dann gehen wir eben morgen ins Kino.
So what? Then we’ll just go to the cinema tomorrow.
na na
now, now
An informal warning or mild reprimand when someone does or says something inappropriate.
EXAMPLE
Na na, so redest du nicht mit deiner Schwester.
Now, now, you don’t talk to your sister like that.
Usage tips
Informal language
“Na” is a highly informal interjection and is especially suitable for spontaneous conversations. In more formal situations, it can quickly sound too casual or too direct.
EXAMPLE
Na, dann erzähl mal, was passiert ist.
So, tell me what happened.
At the beginning of a sentence and comma
“Na” often appears at the beginning of a sentence and is then separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Its effect depends greatly on the intonation and on the sentence that follows.
EXAMPLE
Na, das ist ja eine schöne Überraschung!
Well, that’s a lovely surprise!
Starting a conversation
When starting a conversation, “na” is often used together with a short question or an invitation to tell a story. The tone is usually friendly and expectant.
EXAMPLE
Na, was hast du am Wochenende gemacht?
So, what did you do at the weekend?
Prompting a reaction
In critical or impatient questions, “na” increases the pressure on the person being addressed to answer or act now. Words such as “endlich” (finally), “also” (so), or “nun” (now) in the same sentence can reinforce this effect.
EXAMPLE
Na, willst du nun mitkommen oder nicht?
So, are you coming or not?
Fixed expression
In “Na und?” (So what?), “und” comes directly after “na” and forms a fixed short response with it. The expression can stand alone or appear at the beginning of a sentence and is often followed by another sentence.
EXAMPLE
Na und? Jeder macht einmal einen Fehler.
So what? Everyone makes a mistake sometimes.
Repeated form
“Na na” is usually said twice in succession and is addressed directly to a person. The repetition signals that the person being addressed should stop immediately or change their behavior.
EXAMPLE
Na na, das bleibt schön hier liegen!
Now, now, that stays right here!
In real life
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