<p>Yes, 拿 take a thing <strong>BY HAND</strong> (please look at the glyph, a box on a hand, that is to say, you take a box, 一个 “合” box 放在 “手” 上面), generally, we don't take a man, right?</p>

<p>请 = invite.   you can check ancient glyph at <a href="http://www.zdic.net" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.zdic.net</a> ， some characters are Pictographic characters (象形字), you can check ancient glyph of them, some characters are combinations of Pictographic characters (会义字), and others are combinations with phonetic + Pictographic (形声字, one part is phonetic, others are 会义 or 象形).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:16:29.933Z
How would you explain the common phrase "拿主意"?
as4s4hetic
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:20:05.253Z
So if it is a baby, can I use 拿? (even though something like 抱 may be more appropriate)?
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:27:19.363Z
拿主意 means show me an idea, just like you have a solution in your hand. All Chinese can understand 拿 a baby, but 抱 implies more details about it, e.g. more safe (you take the baby with 2 hands around him).
Daniel Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:15:11.757Z
2017-08-18T08:23:08.717Z
2017-08-18T08:23:08.717Z
Daniel Yang
<blockquote>
  <p>明天晚上我_请_你吃饭!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The above sentence means that in order to express my gratitude, I treat you to dinner. </p>

<p>The object after <code>拿</code> most is thing in Chinese language. If you use the person as an object, it will be very rude.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:26:13.800Z
2017-08-18T08:34:03.037Z
2017-08-18T08:34:03.037Z
Nico Zhu - MSFT
<p>I cannot imagine a situation where &quot;拿&quot; would take a human object. Daniel has already explained the etymology of the character, however &quot;拿&quot; not only takes physical objects, but can also be used metaphorically such as in the phrase &quot;拿主意&quot; (to brainstorm), which literally translated means &quot;to grab ideas&quot;.</p>
<p>I'd also like to point out that the main reason &quot;拿&quot; would not fit into that sentence is because it cannot be used in the same way &quot;take&quot; would be used in english. It should only be used in a picking-up-and-holding kind of way.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Example sentences that <strong>cannot</strong> <em>take</em> (heh) &quot;拿&quot;</p>
<ol>
<li>I will <em>take</em> the car to work. (you aren't picking up the car)</li>
<li>I will <em>take</em> a break. (can't really pick up a &quot;break&quot;, either)</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>As a general rule of thumb, anything too big to pick up shouldn't use 拿.</p>
<hr />
<p>A.N.</p>
<p>To use the word &quot;拿&quot; in that sentence would actually be quite comical. Since &quot;拿&quot; also means &quot;with&quot; as in &quot;to use&quot;, it would actually mean &quot;Tomorrow night I will use you to eat dinner&quot;. In fact, in the above situation, even if the object was not human, you shouldn't use &quot;拿&quot; at all.</p>
<p>Even if you wished to say: &quot;I will take my purse to dinner&quot;, opt for something like &quot;帶&quot;, which means &quot;to bring&quot;. Otherwise people people might misunderstand it as you are literally using your purse to eat your food.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T12:26:42.097Z
@Blaszard you're welcome! glad to help
as4s4hetic
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T17:43:01.560Z
拿 can mean 'catch' or 'arrest', but it has to be in a compound word.

For example: 揖拿尋案 (arrest someone for the crime); 
 擒拿某人 (catch someone); 
全部拿下 (arrest them all)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:46:59.123Z
2017-08-18T08:46:59.123Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
as4s4hetic
<p>I recently took a Chinese test <a href="http://www.easymandarin.cn/test-your-chinese-level" rel="nofollow noreferrer">on EasyMandarin website</a>. One of the question is the following:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>明天晚上我___你吃饭。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>They ask me to pick up a word that is suitable to the blank area, and I picked up 拿.</p>

<p>However, the correct answer was 请. I found it sounds a better term.</p>

<p>However, is 拿 also suitable here? I meant the sentence is <em>"Tomorrow evening I would take you to eat dinner."</em>. </p>

<p>Is 拿 only used to take a "thing", or can I use it also to take "person"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T08:58:18.603Z
＂take you to＂ could be 带你到， here 带你去吃饭 might be possible
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T09:03:07.373Z
note: 拿下 put (sb.) under arrest,捉拿 capture （a criminal)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T12:44:43.557Z
@Blaszard,   拿小孩 is possible but with different meaning, eg 我拿小孩没办法。If you want to express holding a baby into your arms, then better  use 抱小孩. I never heard 拿小孩 being used in this sense. And  拿人 is also possible but it means "capture someone". If you change the sentence as 明天晚上我拿你‘是问’ or ‘出气’(instead of 吃饭)，it will make perfect sense. In fact, 拿 has been widely extended in meaning rather than merely by hand. Let's say, 我拿他没有办法；拿不准；拿不定主意；If you look into a dictionary, you will get many of them.
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-18T13:09:03.463Z
@dan Thank you for the follow-ups!
Blaszard
<usage><verbs>
Is 拿 only used to take "thing" and not "person"?
# Is 拿 only used to take "thing" and not "person"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-18)

I recently took a Chinese test [on EasyMandarin website](http://www.easymandarin.cn/test-your-chinese-level). One of the question is the following:

> 明天晚上我\_\_\_你吃饭。

They ask me to pick up a word that is suitable to the blank area, and I picked up 拿.

However, the correct answer was 请. I found it sounds a better term.

However, is 拿 also suitable here? I meant the sentence is *"Tomorrow evening I would take you to eat dinner."*.

Is 拿 only used to take a "thing", or can I use it also to take "person"?

**Tags:** usage, verbs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: ＂take you to＂ could be 带你到， here 带你去吃饭 might be possible  
> **username_1**: note: 拿下 put (sb.) under arrest,捉拿 capture （a criminal)  
> **username_2**: @username_0,   拿小孩 is possible but with different meaning, eg 我拿小孩没办法。If you want to express holding a baby into your arms, then better  use 抱小孩. I never heard 拿小孩 being used in this sense. And  拿人 is also possible but it means "capture someone". If you change the sentence as 明天晚上我拿你‘是问’ or ‘出气’(instead of 吃饭)，it will make perfect sense. In fact, 拿 has been widely extended in meaning rather than merely by hand. Let's say, 我拿他没有办法；拿不准；拿不定主意；If you look into a dictionary, you will get many of them.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Thank you for the follow-ups!  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-08-18. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I cannot imagine a situation where "拿" would take a human object. username_3 has already explained the etymology of the character, however "拿" not only takes physical objects, but can also be used metaphorically such as in the phrase "拿主意" (to brainstorm), which literally translated means "to grab ideas".

I'd also like to point out that the main reason "拿" would not fit into that sentence is because it cannot be used in the same way "take" would be used in english. It should only be used in a picking-up-and-holding kind of way.

> Example sentences that **cannot** *take* (heh) "拿"
>
> 1. I will *take* the car to work. (you aren't picking up the car)
> 2. I will *take* a break. (can't really pick up a "break", either)

As a general rule of thumb, anything too big to pick up shouldn't use 拿.

---

A.N.

To use the word "拿" in that sentence would actually be quite comical. Since "拿" also means "with" as in "to use", it would actually mean "Tomorrow night I will use you to eat dinner". In fact, in the above situation, even if the object was not human, you shouldn't use "拿" at all.

Even if you wished to say: "I will take my purse to dinner", opt for something like "帶", which means "to bring". Otherwise people people might misunderstand it as you are literally using your purse to eat your food.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: @username_0 you're welcome! glad to help  
> **username_6**: 拿 can mean 'catch' or 'arrest', but it has to be in a compound word.  For example: 揖拿尋案 (arrest someone for the crime);   擒拿某人 (catch someone);  全部拿下 (arrest them all)  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-08-18. Score: 2

Yes, 拿 take a thing **BY HAND** (please look at the glyph, a box on a hand, that is to say, you take a box, 一个 “合” box 放在 “手” 上面), generally, we don't take a man, right?

请 = invite. you can check ancient glyph at <http://www.zdic.net> ， some characters are Pictographic characters (象形字), you can check ancient glyph of them, some characters are combinations of Pictographic characters (会义字), and others are combinations with phonetic + Pictographic (形声字, one part is phonetic, others are 会义 or 象形).

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: How would you explain the common phrase "拿主意"?  
> **username_0**: So if it is a baby, can I use 拿? (even though something like 抱 may be more appropriate)?  
> **username_3**: 拿主意 means show me an idea, just like you have a solution in your hand. All Chinese can understand 拿 a baby, but 抱 implies more details about it, e.g. more safe (you take the baby with 2 hands around him).  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-08-18. Score: 0

> 明天晚上我\_请\_你吃饭!

The above sentence means that in order to express my gratitude, I treat you to dinner.

The object after `拿` most is thing in Chinese language. If you use the person as an object, it will be very rude.


---

