Chen Collection, Middle Volume
Radical: Tree (mù)
Nai
Kangxi stroke count: 9
Page 520, Entry 23
Pronounced nai (falling tone)
Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): The name of a fruit.
Guangyun (Broad Rhymes): There are three varieties of nai fruit: green, white, and red.
Pan Yue, Rhapsody on Living in Seclusion (Xianju fu): Two nai fruits glitter with red and white colors.
Additionally, Xu Xuan states: It is borrowed to serve as the character for naihe (what to do).
Book of Documents (Shujing), Announcement of Duke Shao (Zhaogao): How could one not be respectful?
Also, Guangyun (Broad Rhymes): Means na (what/how). Nai and na are interchangeable.
Wang Wei, Poem in reply to Supervisor Guo: Longing to follow you, but there is no help for aging. Na is used for nai.
Han Yu, Poem on feeling the spring: It is finished, I know not what to do. Nai is used for na.
Note: It is commonly written in the variant form nai, to distinguish it from the nai in naihe (what to do). Furthermore, it is commonly written as nai, to distinguish it from the nai in fruit. Both of these are incorrect.