Which one should you use?
While 那里 (nàli) and 那儿 (nàr) both mean 'over there', 那里 is often perceived as slightly more formal or standard in written text, whereas 那儿 is the characteristic spoken form in the north. For a straightforward way to say 'over there' suitable for most situations, you can also use 那边 (nà biān). If you want to refer specifically to a faraway place, the slightly more formal phrase 远处 (yuǎn chù) is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern China, particularly in Beijing, the colloquial form 那儿 (nàr) is much more common than 那里. Additionally, the expression 那边儿 (nà biān er) is an informal version of 那边 commonly used in northern China and the Beijing dialect. In the Cantonese dialect of southern China, the phrase 嗰度 (góu dou) can be used instead of 那边.
How does it change in a sentence?
那里 functions as a location adverb and can be used immediately following a noun to indicate the location of that noun, such as in '桌子那里' (at that table over there).
How do you pronounce it?
nàli
Did you know?
- While 那里 means 'over there', changing the tone of the first character to a rising pitch creates 哪里, which means 'where'.
- Using 那里 to refer to a person's home or office is common, such as saying 'I will go to your 那里' instead of 'your house'.
- The word 边 in 那边 literally means 'edge' or 'side', suggesting that 'over there' is conceptualized as the 'that side' of a space.
Examples in context
- 我经常想去那里。I often feel like just going over there.Tatoeba #609847 by CLARET, translation #39924 by AlanF_US
- 他在那张桌子那里。He's at that table over there.Tatoeba #8591230 by easononizuka, translation #12263935 by sundown
- 你可以问在那里玩耍的小孩。You can ask the child who's playing over there.Tatoeba #9962453 by GlossaMatik, translation #71797 by CK
- 他的办公室在那边。(Tā de bàngōngshì zài nà biān.)His office is over there.
- 商场在那里。(Shāngchǎng zài nà lǐ.)The mall is over there.
- 他的车停在那边儿。(Tā de chē tíng zài nà biān er.)His car is parked over there.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are looking for their friend in a park.
- 梓涵 Zihan他在那里吗？Tā zài nàlǐ ma?Is he over there?
- 浩然 Haoran是的，他在那里。Shì de, tā zài nàlǐ.Yes, he is over there.
- 梓涵 Zihan我们去那里找他吧。Wǒmen qù nàlǐ zhǎo tā ba.Let's go over there to find him.
- 浩然 Haoran好，走吧。Hǎo, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
