This, That & Which in Chinese 这和那
zhè hé nà
This / that in Chinese are 这个 / 那个 (zhè ge / nà ge).
Also searched for as: this, that, which, this one that one.
How do you point at things? 15 essential this, that & which words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Chinese has a neat three-way system for pointing: 这 (zhè) for this, 那 (nà) for that and 哪 (nǎ) for which, and the same pattern runs through 这儿 (zhèr), 那儿 (nàr) and 哪儿 (nǎr) for places. Once you know the endings, you can say 'this one', 'those', 'over here' and 'which ones' without learning lots of new words. They're some of the most useful words for shopping and asking the way.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这 | zhè | this |
| 那 | nà | that |
| 这个 | zhè ge | this one |
| 那个 | nà ge | that one |
| 哪个 | nǎ ge | which one |
| 这些 | zhè xiē | these |
| 那些 | nà xiē | those |
| 哪些 | nǎ xiē | which ones |
| 这里 | zhè li | here |
| 那里 | nà li | there |
| 这儿 | zhèr | here (colloquial) |
| 那儿 | nàr | there (colloquial) |
| 这边 | zhè biān | this side; over here |
| 那边 | nà bian | that side; over there |
| 这样 | zhè yàng | like this |
Usage tips
- 那 (nà) and 哪 (nǎ) differ only in tone, so make the falling fourth tone clear for 'that' and the low third tone for 'which'.
- 这儿 (zhèr) and 那儿 (nàr) are typical of the north, while 这里 (zhè li) and 那里 (nà li) are more common in the south, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia; both pairs are understood everywhere.
- In everyday speech 这个 (zhè ge) is often pronounced zhèi ge and 那个 (nà ge) nèi ge, and 那个 also works as a filler, like 'um', while people search for a word.
Common mistakes
- Putting a number straight after 这 with no measure word, as in 这三书: add one, 这三本书 (zhè sān běn shū).
- Using a person as a place after 在, as in 书在我: say 书在我这儿 (shū zài wǒ zhèr), 'I've got the book here', adding 这儿 to turn the person into a location.
Mini dialogue
- A你好，这个多少钱？Nǐ hǎo, zhè ge duō shao qián?Hi, how much is this one?
- B这个五十块，那个三十块。Zhè ge wǔ shí kuài, nà ge sān shí kuài.This one's fifty yuan; that one's thirty.
- A那边那些呢？Nà bian nà xiē ne?What about those over there?
- B那些都是二十块。你喜欢哪个？Nà xiē dōu shì èr shí kuài. Nǐ xǐ huan nǎ ge?Those are all twenty. Which one do you like?
- A我要这个，谢谢。Wǒ yào zhè ge, xiè xie.I'll take this one, thanks.
Example sentences
- 这是我的书。This is my book.
- 那是谁的手机？Whose phone is that?
- 这个多少钱？How much is this one?
- 我要那个。I want that one.
- 你喜欢哪个？Which one do you like?
- 这些都是我的。These are all mine.
- 那些人是谁？Who are those people?
- 你去过哪些国家？Which countries have you been to?
- 这里很安静。It's quiet here.
- 我没去过那里。I've never been there.
- 你来这儿干什么？What are you doing here?
- 书在那儿。The book is over there.
- 请往这边走。This way, please.
- 洗手间在那边。The toilet is over there.
- 这样做对吗？Is it right to do it like this?
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The This, that & which speaking island has 8 everyday questions about this, that & which to prepare your own answers to.