pron.
over there; that side
那边
over there; that side
Literally 'that side' (那 that + 边 side/direction). Points to a location or area further away from the speaker; say 在那边 (over there).
Common Usage & Traps
- 去那边 — go over there
- 在那边 — be over there
- 那边的人 — the people on that side
- 你那边 — your end / your side
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他去哪边他去那边哪 means 'which', 那 means 'that'. Swapping them turns a flat statement into a question.
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去那边的地方去那边那边 already means 'that place over there', so 的地方 is dead weight.
What's the difference between 那边 and 那里 if they both mean 'over there'?
They overlap a ton, but 那边 points to a side, while 那里 just names a spot.
Think of 那边 as a finger aimed across the room at a direction. It stresses one side of something, not a neat dot on a map. 那里 barely cares about direction; it just means 'that place' you both already know. In a taxi, 去那边 tells the driver which way to aim; 去那里 names a destination. Day to day, locals swap them without blinking, so don't overthink it.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pointing at a direction | 往那边走 | 往那里走 (sounds flat when pointing) |
| Naming a known place | 那儿 / 那里 | 那边 (adds a 'side' that isn't there) |
Why does 大学那边的苹果商店 mean 'the Apple Store by the university'?
Stick 那边 after a landmark and it means 'over by that place'.
The pattern is [landmark] + 那边 + 的 + [thing]. It's how you say something sits near a known spot without naming a street. So 大学那边的苹果商店 is 'the Apple Store over by the university'. You need 的 before the noun, or the phrase sounds chopped off.
“晚上，我坐出租车去大学那边的苹果商店买手机。” (In the evening, I took a taxi to the Apple Store near the university to buy a phone.)
“晚上，我坐出租车去大学那边的苹果商店买手机。” (In the evening, I took a taxi to the Apple Store near the university to buy a phone.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Attaching a noun after | 大学那边的商店 (needs 的) | 大学那边商店 (sounds cut off) |
| Meaning | over by the university | the university's that-side (literal) |
What does 你那边 mean in a work chat?
你那边 means 'on your end' — the standard way to check someone's progress.
On WeChat or a work call, 你那边 isn't a spot you point at. It means 'your side of the job' or 'where you are right now'. You'll see it in lines like 你那边怎么样了? (How's it going on your end?). 我这边 answers it. The pair 这边 / 那边 splits the world into 'mine' and 'yours'.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Your side of the work | 你那边完了吗？ | 你这里完了吗？ (means 'here with me') |
| My side | 我这边 | 我那边 (points away from you) |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
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他给爸爸妈妈打了个电话，问他们 那边 怎么样。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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晚上，我坐出租车去大学 那边 的苹果商店买手机。
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