Question 1

When do you say 那些 instead of 这些?

Accepted Answer

那些 points to stuff farther away; 这些 points to stuff near you. Use 这些 for things close to your hand, body, or current topic. Use 那些 for things across the room, at another table, or outside your immediate bubble. Distance can be physical or mental: if it is not 'here' for you, 那些 often fits.

“那些桌子、椅子什么的，这个星期都便宜了，都不贵。” (Those tables, chairs, and so on are all cheap this week, none of them expensive.) ── 《吃的东西和喝的东西》

Question 2

Can you point at one table and say 那些桌子?

Accepted Answer

No. 那些 is plural; one table needs 那张桌子. 那些 means 'those' as a group, so the noun after it is understood as more than one. If you see one table, use 那个桌子 or 那张桌子, depending on the measure word. If you see several tables, 那些桌子 is fine.

Question 3

Why does 那些的桌子 sound wrong?

Accepted Answer

Say 那些桌子. 那些 never takes 的 before the noun. A pointing word like 那些 already locks onto the noun, so 的 is not needed. Adding 的 sounds like 'those of tables' or a possessive phrase. You do use 的 in phrases like 我的桌子, but not after 那些.

Dimension	Natural	Avoid
Physical distance	那些椅子 across the room	这些椅子 across the room
Shared topic	那些问题 from last week	这些问题 from last week
Story scene	那些桌子、椅子	这些桌子、椅子

Dimension	Natural	Avoid
One table	那张桌子	那些桌子
Several tables	那些桌子	那个桌子
One chair	那把椅子	那些椅子

Dimension	Natural	Avoid
Pointing + object	那些桌子	那些的桌子
Pointing + person	那些人	那些的人
Pointing + place	那些地方	那些的地方

那些

Common Usage & Traps

When do you say 那些 instead of 这些?

Can you point at one table and say 那些桌子?

Why does 那些的桌子 sound wrong?

Featured in Story Deep Dive

Questions & Discussion 0 questions