中々

[spank]

so naka naka is an adverb meaning "no matter what".
my question is, does nakanaka have to be used with a negative verb in japanese, or can it be used in a positive sense?

中々勝て　−　 would this be a command to 'win no matter what'

thanks.

[zengargoyle]

it can be used in a positive sense, but it doesn't really mean the same thing.

nakanaka なかなか
"considerably", "quite", "(not) easily", "(not) readily"

In a positive expression, nakanaka indicates that someone or something is admirable, impressive or exceptional. In a netative expression, it indicates that a favorable situation does not come about easily.

私の新しい家はなかなか立派ですね。
my new house is quite impressive, isn't it?

漢字は毎日練習しているのに、なかなか覚えられない。
although i practice kanji every day, i can't learn them easily.

[spank]

Hey thanks for that Zengargoyle. That's really helpful. Could you tell me where you got that definition and those examples? Or are they your own?

Thanks

[zengargoyle]

it's the sister book of the Grammar Handbook i mentioned in the other thread, The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs (Kamiya). they seem to be pretty good to me. i haven't done much more than flip through them to learn conjugations and get examples (too busy studying kanji at the moment). they have good organization and examples and practice sections (with answers). 中々 was in the Adverbs with Different Meanings in Positive and Negative Expressions section.

[lomagu]

it can also sometimes mean 'more than I thought'

あまり知られていないが、なかなかおもしろい映画だった。
It's not a really popular movie, but it was pretty interesting (more interesting than I thought it would be).