Demonstratives 这/那 in Chinese

In Brief

Use 这 (zhè) for “this” and 那 (nà) for “that.” Before a noun, Chinese normally puts a measure word between the demonstrative and the noun: 这本书 (zhè běn shū, this book), 那个人 (nà ge rén, that person). 这个/那个 can mean “this one/that one,” while 这里/那里 mean “here/there.”

Overview

A demonstrative is a pointing word: it identifies a particular person, thing, place, or idea. English uses “this/these” for what feels near and “that/those” for what feels farther away. Mandarin Chinese makes the same basic contrast with 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà). You will use them while shopping, choosing food, introducing people, locating things, and referring back to something in a conversation.

This is an A1 grammar point, but it also introduces an important feature of Chinese: the measure word (a classifying word placed between a number or demonstrative and a noun). English can say “this book” directly; Chinese normally says 这 + 本 + 书, literally “this + measure word + book.” The common measure word 个 (ge) works with many nouns, but other nouns have their own usual measure words.

Chinese does not change 这 or 那 for grammatical gender, and the basic forms do not themselves distinguish singular from plural. Instead, the words around them show whether you mean one item, several items, or a place: 这个 “this one,” 这些 “these,” and 这里 “here.”

How It Works

The basic distance contrast

Form	Pinyin	Core meaning	Typical use
这	zhè	this	near the speaker, psychologically close, or the current topic
那	nà	that	farther from the speaker, psychologically distant, or previously mentioned

Distance is not always physical. 这 can point to the situation currently being discussed, and 那 can refer to something mentioned earlier. In a shop, the choice may simply reflect which item you are pointing at.

Demonstrative + measure word + noun

The standard noun pattern is:

这/那 + measure word + noun

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. The measure word sits immediately before it:

Pattern	Example	Meaning
这 + 个 + noun	这个问题	this question
那 + 个 + noun	那个人	that person
这 + 本 + noun	这本书	this book
那 + 杯 + noun	那杯茶	that cup of tea
这 + 张 + noun	这张票	this ticket

个 is the most general measure word and is often the first one learners meet. However, do not treat it as correct for every noun. Common pairings include 本 for bound books, 张 for flat objects such as tickets and tables, 杯 for cups or glasses of drink, and 件 for items of clothing and matters.

The number 一 “one” is normally understood and omitted after 这 or 那:

• 这本书 = this book, literally “this [one] measure-word book”
• 那杯咖啡 = that cup of coffee

You can include 一 when the number itself matters or when contrasting one item with others: 这一本书，不是那两本。 “This one book, not those two.” For ordinary “this book,” 这本书 is more natural.

Referring to “this one” and “that one”

When the noun is clear from context, 这个 and 那个 can stand alone:

• 我要这个。 — I want this one.
• 那个多少钱？ — How much is that one?
• 这是什么？ — What is this?
• 那是谁？ — Who is that?

With broad ideas or entire situations, bare 这 and 那 may act like “this” and “that”: 这很好。 “This is good.” For a particular countable object, 这个/那个 is usually the safest beginner form.

Be aware that 那个 also has a conversational use similar to “um” or “that...,” when a speaker is searching for a word. That does not change its ordinary grammatical meaning.

Plural forms: 这些 and 那些

Use 些 (xiē) to indicate an unspecified group:

Form	Pinyin	Meaning
这些	zhèxiē	these; these ones
那些	nàxiē	those; those ones

The pattern is 这些/那些 + noun, without another measure word:

• 这些书 — these books
• 那些学生 — those students
• 这些很好。 — These are very good.

些 does not state an exact number. If the number matters, use a number and the appropriate measure word: 那三本书 “those three books.” Notice that the demonstrative still comes first: 那 + 三 + 本 + 书.

Places: 这里/那里 and 这儿/那儿

For location, use the following pairs:

Form	Pinyin	Meaning	Note
这里	zhèlǐ	here	widespread
那里	nàlǐ	there	widespread
这儿	zhèr	here	especially common in northern speech
那儿	nàr	there	especially common in northern speech

Both pairs are standard Mandarin. 这里/那里 are useful neutral choices and common across regions. 这儿/那儿 are especially frequent in northern Mandarin, including speech associated with Beijing.

These location words can follow a person or place noun to mean “at someone’s place” or “on this side/location”: 我这里 can mean “here where I am” or “on my end,” depending on context.

Questions and sentence position

A demonstrative phrase occupies the same position as the person or thing it represents. Chinese does not move it to the front merely because the sentence is a question:

• 这个多少钱？ — How much is this one?
• 那是什么？ — What is that?
• 你喜欢这本书吗？ — Do you like this book?
• 谁要那个？ — Who wants that one?

The demonstrative phrase may be the subject (the person or thing the sentence is about) or the object (the person or thing affected by the action):

• 那本书很好。 — That book is very good. (subject)
• 我买那本书。 — I am buying that book. (object)

Examples in Context

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Note
这个多少钱？	Zhège duōshao qián?	How much is this one?	Useful while shopping
那是什么？	Nà shì shénme?	What is that?	Bare 那 refers to a visible or known thing
这本书很好。	Zhè běn shū hěn hǎo.	This book is very good.	本 is the measure word for books
我要那个。	Wǒ yào nàge.	I want that one.	The noun is understood
这个人是我老师。	Zhège rén shì wǒ lǎoshī.	This person is my teacher.	个 is used with 人 here
你喜欢那杯茶吗？	Nǐ xǐhuan nà bēi chá ma?	Do you like that cup of tea?	杯 classifies a cup of drink
这些菜都很好吃。	Zhèxiē cài dōu hěn hǎochī.	These dishes are all delicious.	这些 marks an unspecified plural group
那些学生是新生。	Nàxiē xuésheng shì xīnshēng.	Those students are new students.	No extra measure word after 那些
我想买这两张票。	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhè liǎng zhāng piào.	I want to buy these two tickets.	Order: demonstrative + number + measure word + noun
你的手机在这里。	Nǐ de shǒujī zài zhèlǐ.	Your phone is here.	这里 indicates a location
他在那里工作。	Tā zài nàlǐ gōngzuò.	He works there.	那里 follows 在
你坐这儿，我坐那儿。	Nǐ zuò zhèr, wǒ zuò nàr.	You sit here; I’ll sit there.	Northern-style place forms
这是我的，那是你的。	Zhè shì wǒ de, nà shì nǐ de.	This is mine; that is yours.	Contrast between two identified things
这件事很重要。	Zhè jiàn shì hěn zhòngyào.	This matter is important.	件 is used with matters and events
那三个人是谁？	Nà sān ge rén shì shéi?	Who are those three people?	Exact number replaces plural 些

Common Mistakes

Leaving out the measure word before a noun

• Wrong: 这书很好。 (as a default beginner pattern)
• Right: 这本书很好。
• Why: Standard Mandarin normally requires a measure word between 这/那 and a countable noun. Shortened forms do occur in particular styles and fixed patterns, but 这本书 is the reliable everyday form.

Adding both 些 and another measure word

• Wrong: 这些本书
• Right: 这些书 or 这几本书
• Why: 这些书 means “these books” as an unspecified group. For “these few books,” use 这几本书, with 几 plus the measure word 本.

Copying English word order with an exact number

• Wrong: 三这本书
• Right: 这三本书
• Why: The normal order is demonstrative + number + measure word + noun: 这 + 三 + 本 + 书.

Confusing 那 “that” with 哪 “which”

• Wrong: 那本书？ when you mean “Which book?”
• Right: 哪本书？
• Why: 那 is nà with a falling tone and means “that.” 哪 is usually nǎ with a dipping third tone and asks “which.” The characters, tones, and functions differ.

Using 这个 for a place

• Wrong: 我在这个。
• Right: 我在这里。 / 我在这儿。
• Why: 这个 points to an item or identifies “this one.” Use 这里/这儿 for “here” and 那里/那儿 for “there.”

Translating “these” with 这 alone before a noun

• Wrong: 这书 for ordinary “these books”
• Right: 这些书
• Why: 这 does not carry an English-style singular/plural ending. Use 些 for an unspecified plural group, or a number plus measure word when the amount is known.

Usage Notes

In careful pronunciation, the forms are zhè and nà. In everyday speech, especially before a measure word, you may hear pronunciations resembling zhèi and nèi: 这个 may sound like zhèige, and 那个 like nèige. These are common spoken realizations, not new demonstrative characters. As a beginner, learn the dictionary pronunciations first and train your ear to recognize the spoken variants.

The near/far distinction depends on the speaker’s viewpoint. If you hand someone an object, you might call it 这个 while it is near you and they might call the same object 那个 while it is still on your side. 那 can also create discourse distance: “that issue we discussed,” not necessarily an object far across the room.

English speakers often expect separate words matching all four forms “this, that, these, those.” Chinese builds the system more transparently: start with 这/那, then add 些 for an unspecified plural or a place ending such as 里/儿 for location. The measure-word pattern is the main habit that requires practice because English normally places “this” directly before a singular noun.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following forms at A1, but you will meet them often later.

这么 and 那么

这么 (zhème) and 那么 (nàme) point to a manner or degree rather than an object. Depending on context, they mean “this way/so” and “that way/so”:

• 这么做不难。 — Doing it this way is not difficult.
• 今天怎么这么冷？ — Why is it so cold today?
• 不要那么说。 — Don’t say it like that.
• 他没有那么高。 — He is not that tall.

They belong to the same pointing family as 这 and 那, but their grammar is different from 这个/那个.

Demonstratives as discourse links

In connected speech and writing, 这 can summarize what has just been said, while 那 can point to a consequence or a less immediate topic:

• 他今天不来。这我知道。 — He isn’t coming today. I know that.
• 那我们明天再谈。 — In that case, let’s talk again tomorrow.

Here, English may translate both forms as “that,” because English chooses demonstratives differently when referring to whole statements. Do not assume that every Chinese 这 must become English “this,” or every 那 must become “that.” Translate the relationship, not just the character.

Omission and compressed forms

Native speech and some written styles may omit a measure word in combinations such as 这书 or 那人, especially when the phrase is generic, contrastive, or stylistically compressed. There are also fixed combinations where a bare demonstrative is normal. This does not cancel the beginner rule. Until you have enough exposure to recognize the relevant patterns, produce 这/那 + measure word + noun.

那个 as a hesitation word

Speakers sometimes repeat 那个 while planning what to say: 那个……我想问一下…… “Um... I’d like to ask...” This can sound surprising because its literal meaning is “that one.” Treat it as a feature to recognize rather than a filler you must imitate. Clear pauses are perfectly acceptable for learners.

Practice Tips

1. Point and build the full phrase. Choose five nearby objects and five farther ones. Say 这个/那个 first, then add the correct noun phrase: 这本书, 那张桌子, 这杯水. This turns measure-word choice into a habit.
2. Practice three versions of one noun. For each new noun, make a singular phrase, an unspecified plural, and an exact plural: 这本书, 这些书, 这三本书. Say the order aloud without translating word by word.
3. Listen for families of forms. In short Mandarin videos or conversations, note examples of 这/那, 这些/那些, and 这里/那里. Also listen for spoken zhèi/nèi so that familiar written forms do not sound unfamiliar in real speech.

Related Concepts

• Useful foundation: Chinese measure words — they complete the pattern 这/那 + measure word + noun.
• Useful next step: Chinese numbers and quantities — they let you expand 这本书 to forms such as 这三本书.
• Useful contrast: Chinese question words, especially 哪 “which,” which contrasts with 那 “that.”

No direct prerequisite or downstream concept is specified for this concept in the current grammar map.