Mandarin Demonstratives: Pointing to 'This' and 'That' with zhè and nà
Learn to point out people and things near and far in Mandarin using zhè (this) and nà (that), with the measure word nà ge and the possessive de. Beginner level, simplified Chinese with pinyin.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Mandarin, you point at things with two small words: zhè (this) for something near you, and nà (that) for something farther away. Unlike English, Mandarin has no words for 'a' or 'the'. Instead, when you name a thing, you often add a measure word such as ge. So 'this book' is zhè běn shū, and 'that book' is nà běn shū. To say 'mine' or 'yours', add de: zhè běn shū shì wǒ de. This lesson gives you the exact patterns for pointing at people and things near and far, and for contrasting two items in one sentence.
By the end, you can…
- point to something near me with zhè and something far with nà.
- say 'this X is mine; that X is yours' using shì ... de.
- ask 'which one?' with nǎ ge and answer with zhè ge or nà ge.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
这是书。
This is a book.
zhè shì shū
Basic pointing sentence. No 'a' is needed; shū alone can mean 'a book' or 'books'.
那是我的书。
That is my book.
nà shì wǒ de shū
nà points to something farther away; de marks possession.
这本书是我的。
This book is mine.
zhè běn shū shì wǒ de
běn is the measure word for books. The possessed noun can be left out after de.
那本书是你的。
That book is yours.
nà běn shū shì nǐ de
Contrasts with the previous sentence: this one is mine, that one is yours.
这个是我的，那个是你的。
This one is mine, that one is yours.
zhè ge shì wǒ de, nà ge shì nǐ de
ge is the general measure word. Use zhè ge / nà ge when you do not name the object.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is zhè / nà + measure word + noun. For example: zhè běn shū (this book), nà běn shū (that book), zhè ge rén (this person), nà ge rén (that person). When the noun is already clear, you can drop it and keep the measure word: zhè ge shì wǒ de (this one is mine). To say who owns something, use shì + owner + de: zhè běn shū shì wǒ de. The word de at the end can stand for the noun, so you do not repeat shū.
When to use it
Use zhè for something you can touch or that is close to you, and nà for something across the room or already mentioned. In a shop, point and say wǒ yào zhè ge (I want this one) or wǒ yào nà ge (I want that one). To ask which one, use nǎ ge: nǐ yào nǎ ge? (Which one do you want?). Do not use zhè or nà alone before a noun without a measure word in careful speech; say zhè ge rén, not zhè rén.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
这是你的书吗？
Is this your book?zhè shì nǐ de shū ma不是，那是我的书。
No, that is my book.bú shì, nà shì wǒ de shū这本书是谁的？
Whose book is this one?zhè běn shū shì shéi de这本书是他的，那本是我的。
This book is his; that one is mine.zhè běn shū shì tā de, nà běn shì wǒ deA little context goes a long way
Pointing with a finger is common in many Chinese settings, but for people it can feel blunt. When referring to a person nearby, many speakers prefer zhè wèi (this person, polite) or nà wèi (that person, polite) instead of zhè ge rén. In shops, pointing at goods with zhè ge or nà ge is normal and practical.
One thing to watch for
Saying zhè shū shì wǒ de (this book is mine) without a measure word.
Try this instead: Add the measure word: zhè běn shū shì wǒ de. In everyday speech you may hear zhè shū, but beginner learners should use zhè + measure word + noun. For a general object, use zhè ge: zhè ge shì wǒ de.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'That person is my teacher' using nà and the polite measure word for people?
Show a sample answer
那个人是我的老师。 (nà ge rén shì wǒ de lǎoshī) or 那位是我的老师。 (nà wèi shì wǒ de lǎoshī)
nà points to a person farther away. ge is the general measure word; wèi is a polite measure word for people. Both are correct, but wèi sounds more respectful.
2A friend holds a pen near you and asks 这是谁的笔？ How do you answer 'This is mine'?
Show a sample answer
这是我的笔。 (zhè shì wǒ de bǐ) or 这支笔是我的。 (zhè zhī bǐ shì wǒ de)
zhè refers to the nearby pen. bǐ is the noun; zhī is its measure word. You may also drop the noun after de: 这是我的。
3How do you ask 'Which one is yours?' when two bags are in front of you?
Show a sample answer
哪个是你的？ (nǎ ge shì nǐ de)
nǎ ge means 'which one'. The measure word ge stands for the unnamed object. If you name the object, use its measure word, for example 哪个包是你的？ (nǎ ge bāo shì nǐ de).
Use zhè for near and nà for far, always add a measure word before a noun, and finish ownership sentences with shì ... de. When the noun is clear, zhè ge and nà ge can stand alone.
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