中々

Japanese

Kanji in this term
中	中
なか Grade: 1	なか Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Adverb

中(なか)々(なか) • (nakanaka) 

1. very, quite, considerably, rather

   なかなか難(むずか)しい

   nakanaka muzukashii

   quite difficult

   なかなかの結果(けっか)

   nakanaka no kekka

   impressive results

   なかなかできない

   nakanaka dekinai

   not easily done

2. by no means (with negative verb)
   • 1906, Natsume Sōseki, Botchan‎^[1]:

     くだらないから、すぐ寝(ね)たが、なかなか寝(ね)られない。

     Kudaranai kara, sugu neta ga, nakanaka nerarenai.

     There was nothing doing, so I went to bed, but could not sleep.