怎奈
zěn​nài

but alas

怎 zěn what? why? how?

Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound.

Components

心
心 Meaning component
xīn, xin heart
乍
乍 Sound component
zhà, zuò suddenly
Change in sound

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

奈 nài but

A man 大 with spirit 示

Components

大
大 Meaning component
dà, dài big
示
示 Meaning component
shì show

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

捺萘

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnajHnˤa[t]-scope with
Zhengzhangnaːls
naːds
Unicodenɑ̀i

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica