Demonstratives: 这 and 那

The pattern: demonstrative + measure word + noun

Between the demonstrative and the noun goes a measure word. The general-purpose one is 个 (gè):

123

1. 1这zhè个ge杯bēi子zi
2. 2那nà个ge杯bēi子zi
3. 3那nà个ge杯bēi子zi

Two words, not three: 这 zhè for the cup by the speaker, 那 nà for both the others, by the listener or far away on the hill.

Nouns with their own measure word use it in the same slot, as 本 (běn) does for books. For a person you want to be polite about, the measure word is 位 (wèi):

• 这zhè位wèi先xiān生sheng是shì我wǒ的de老lǎo师shī。 (Zhè wèi xiānsheng shì wǒ de lǎoshī.) - This gentleman is my teacher.

In casual speech the measure word is often dropped with a few very common nouns: 这人 (zhè rén), 这事 (zhè shì). Do not build on that; 这个 (zhège) + noun is always safe.

Adding a number

A number goes between the demonstrative and the measure word, the same order as English:

• 这zhè三sān本běn书shū是shì我wǒ的de。 (Zhè sān běn shū shì wǒ de.) - These three books are mine.
• 那nà两liǎng个gè人rén是shì谁shéi？ (Nà liǎng ge rén shì shéi?) - Who are those two people?

Plurals: 些 (xiē) replaces the measure word

Mandarin nouns do not change for the plural. For more than one thing, 些 (xiē), "some", takes the measure word's slot:

• 那nà些xiē人rén都dōu走zǒu了le。 (Nàxiē rén dōu zǒu le.) - Those people have all gone.

With a number, 些 (xiē) goes: the number already says how many, so it is 这三本书 (zhè sān běn shū), never 这些三本书.

Standing alone

Before 是 (shì), the bare demonstrative points at a whole thing or situation, with no measure word:

Elsewhere, with no noun after it, use 这个 (zhège) or 那个 (nàge), this one or that one:

• 我wǒ要yào这zhè个ge，不bú要yào那nà个ge。 (Wǒ yào zhège, bú yào nàge.) - I want this one, not that one.

The family: here, there, like this, so

这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) are also the first half of a small set of everyday words. The pattern holds: 这 is near, 那 is far.

123

1. 1这zhè儿r
2. 2那nà儿r
3. 3那nà儿r

The cafe beside the speaker is 这儿 zhèr; the shop across the road and the church on the hill are both 那儿 nàr. 这里 zhèlǐ and 那里 nàlǐ split the street the same way.

这儿 (zhèr) and 那儿 (nàr) are northern; 这里 (zhèlǐ) and 那里 (nàlǐ) are used everywhere and are commoner in the south and in writing. For where things are, see location and existence.