pron.
there
那里
there
There or that place (那 that + 里 inside/place); indicates a location distant from the speaker. Say 去那里 (go there).
Common Usage & Traps
- 在那里 — at that place / over there
- 去那里 — go there
- 你那里 — your area / where you are
- 那里的人 — the people there
- 那里的天气 — the weather there
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你的那里你那里The bare pronoun plus 那里 means where you are; 你的那里 sounds like you own the place or a naughty euphemism.
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你哪里下雨了吗？你那里下雨了吗？哪里 means where; mixing 哪 and 那 turns a simple weather check into a strange location question.
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那里书那本书 / 那里的书那里 means there, not that; it cannot directly modify a noun like 书 without 的.
Should I say 那里 or 那儿 in normal conversation?
Both mean there, but 那儿 is everyday northern speech and 那里 is neutral textbook Mandarin.
那里 and 那儿 both point to the same place, just with different flavor. 那儿 is the relaxed northern choice you hear in Beijing daily speech. 那里 is the safer neutral form in textbooks, news, and most southern Mandarin. In Taiwan, people normally say 那里 and rarely use the 儿 ending.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual Beijing speech | 你去那儿吗？ | 你去那里吗？ (sounds stiff/formal) |
| Textbook or writing | 我在那里等你。 | 我在那儿等你。 (too chatty for formal writing) |
| Taiwan Mandarin | 你在那里吗？ | 你在那儿吗？ (rare in Taiwan) |
How do I stop mixing up 那里 and 哪里?
那里 means there, while 哪里 means where; the tone and character change the job.
那里 points at a known place, like that spot over there across the street. 哪里 asks a question, like which place or where in the world. The two characters are different: 那 means that, and 哪 means which. The tones also differ: nàlǐ falls, while nǎlǐ dips down and then rises.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Ask where someone is | 你在哪里？ | 你在那里？ (means Are you there?) |
| Say someone is there | 他在那里。 | 他在哪里？ (becomes a question) |
| Ask about listener's area | 你那里下雨了吗？ | 你哪里下雨了吗？ (asks where rain fell) |
Why is it 你那里, not 你的那里?
Drop 的: 你那里 is the fixed way to say where you are.
Chinese treats 你那里 as one fixed chunk meaning your location or your area. Adding 的 makes it sound like you own that physical place as property. Worse, 你的那里 can sound like a naughty euphemism for your private parts. For weather, time zones, or local news, just say 你那里 and drop 的.
“今天，你那里下雨了吗？” (Did it rain where you are today?)
“今天，你那里下雨了吗？” (Did it rain where you are today?)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Weather check | 你那里冷吗？ | 你的那里冷吗？ |
| Local news | 你那里怎么样？ | 你的那里怎么样？ |
| Weather in your area | 你那里的天气 | 你的那里的天气 |
Can 那里 mean 'that' before a noun, like 那里书?
No. 那里 means there; 'that' before a noun is 那.
那里 is a place word, so it cannot directly sit before a noun like 书. For that book, use 那本书 with the pointing word 那 before the noun. If you mean the book over there, use 那里的书 with clear 的. English uses there and that loosely, but Chinese always keeps them separate.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| That book | 那本书 | 那里书 |
| That person | 那个人 | 那里人 |
| The books there | 那里的书 | 那里书 |
Appears in Stories 4 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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他小时候住在中国的东北， 那里 的森林也很多。
Join a family on a sweltering Beijing Sunday as a boy learns a funny lesson about playing outside in the summer heat. Perfect for HSK 1 learners.
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我不想去 那里 玩了。
This short, soothing piece is about missing someone on a rainy night. The sentences are simple and repeat often, so you can practice reading while feeling the warm emotion.
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今天，你 那里 下雨了吗？
Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.
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北京人也说“这里”和“ 那里 ”吗？
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我觉得老上海人喜欢说“这里”、“ 那里 ”和“哪里”，不喜欢说“……
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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