Nezha, photo 1 of 2
Nezha, photo 2 of 2

Photo credit

Photo
Nezhafamilyaltar
By
Miuki
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0
Source
Wikimedia Commons
Changes
Resized

Photo credit

Photo
Ping Sien Si - 008 Nezha (deity) (15513109434)
By
Photo Dharma from Penang, Malaysia
Licence
CC BY 2.0
Source
Wikimedia Commons
Changes
Resized

哪吒

Nézhā
proper noun

Meanings

  1. 1 Nezha
  2. 2 rebellious child-deity in Chinese mythology; protection god with wind-fire wheels and a fire-tipped spear

About Nezha

神话人物 mythical figure

Boy god of Chinese myth who rides wind-fire wheels. In 封神演义 he gives his flesh and bones back to his parents and is reborn from a lotus. Animated films about him in 2019 and 2025 broke Chinese box-office records.

Also called  三太子、 中坛元帅

Examples

HSK 3
Xiǎoháizi dōu hěn xǐhuan Nézhā de gùshi.
Kids all love the Nezha story.
HSK 7-9
Nézhā jiǎo tà fēng huǒ lún, shǒuchí huǒ jiān qiāng.
Nezha stands on wind-fire wheels and wields the fire-tipped spear.
HSK 7-9
《 Nézhā zhī mótóng jiàngshì 》 piàofáng chuàng le jìlù.
Ne Zha: The Demon Child Is Born broke box office records.

Tips

culture
His name began as a clipped Buddhist transcription of the Sanskrit Nalakuvara, son of the wealth god Kubera; the mouth radical on its first character came later. The 2019 film made 我命由我不由天, 'my fate is mine to decide, not heaven's', a popular motto.
mistakes
Pronounced Nézhā, not Nǎzhā despite the character 哪 most commonly reading nǎ/nà in modern Mandarin.

In Pop Culture

封神演义 Fēng shén Yǎnyì
Investiture of the Gods
Ming dynasty novel where Nezha's origin story is elaborated; source of many Chinese mythological figures.
哪吒之魔童降世 Nézhā zhī mótóng jiàngshì
Ne Zha (2019 film)
Animated blockbuster that reframed Nezha as a misunderstood demon-child; grossed over 5 billion RMB.

Stroke Order

哪 nǎ
吒 zhā