pron.
those
那些
those
Literally 'those ones' (那 that + 些 plural marker). Plural demonstrative pointing to distant people or items; say 那些人 (those people).
Common Usage & Traps
- 那些桌子 — those tables
- 那些椅子 — those chairs
- 那些人 — those people
- 那些东西 — those things
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那些的桌子那些桌子那些 connects straight to the noun; 的 makes it sound like possession.
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那些桌子们那些桌子那些 already marks more than one. 们 normally attaches to people, not objects.
When do you say 那些 instead of 这些?
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.)
“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.)
| 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 |
Can you point at one table and say 那些桌子?
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.
| 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 |
Why does 那些的桌子 sound wrong?
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
- Scene #1
那些 桌子、椅子什么的，这个星期都便宜了，都不贵。”
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