For autodidact students of Mandarin, the demonstrative 那 (nà) — "that" — is the natural partner of 这 (zhè, this, Lesson 19). Where 这 points at what is near the speaker, 那 points at what is further away. Like 这, it requires a measure word before a noun: you cannot say *那书 — it must be 那本书 (that book). The measure word system introduced in Lesson 19 applies identically here.
A more important lesson is what 那 cannot do. English uses "that" as a subordinating conjunction after verbs of knowing, saying, and thinking: "I know that he's coming," "She said that she was tired." Mandarin has no such conjunction. The dependent clause simply follows the main verb directly, without any linking word. This is one of the most significant structural differences between Chinese and English, and 那 is a useful focus for establishing the contrast clearly.
那 also functions as a logical connector — "then / in that case" — at the start of a consequent clause, often reinforced by 就 (jiù): 那就这样吧 (Then let's do it this way).
Key Takeaways: - 那 (nà) = that [demonstrative] — always requires a measure word before a noun - 那些 (nà xiē) = those [plural demonstrative] - 那里 / 那儿 (nàlǐ / nàr) = there [location] - 那 = "then / in that case" [logical connector, often + 就] - Chinese has NO subordinating "that" after verbs of knowing/saying/thinking — the clause follows directly
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那 is a phonetic compound: the right side 阝 is a compressed form of 邑 (yì, settlement/city), used as a component in characters involving place or direction. The character originally referred to a place name before becoming a demonstrative pronoun and logical adverb — a common grammatical evolution in Chinese.
Critical distinction — 那 (nà) versus 哪 (nǎ): these two characters look almost identical and are frequently confused by learners. 那 (nà, 4th tone) = that/those. 哪 (nǎ, 3rd tone) = which? The addition of the mouth radical 口 at left transforms the demonstrative into a question word. In handwriting the difference is a single stroke; in pronunciation the difference is a full tone. 那个 (nàge, that one) versus 哪个 (nǎge, which one?) are among the most commonly confused pairs at beginner level.
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22.1a 那 that 个 CL 人 person 是 is 谁 who ？
22.1b (nà) that (gè) CL (rén) person (shì) is (shéi) who?
22.2a 那 that 本 CL-vol 书 book 是 is 我 my 的 DE
22.2b (nà) that (běn) CL-vol (shū) book (shì) is (wǒ) my (de) DE
22.3a 我 I 知道 know 他 he 明天 tomorrow 不 not 来 come
22.3b (wǒ) I (zhīdào) know (tā) he (míngtiān) tomorrow (bù) not (lái) come [no "that" in Chinese]
22.4a 你 you 知道 know 那 that 件 CL 事 matter 吗 Q ？
22.4b (nǐ) you (zhīdào) know (nà) that (jiàn) CL (shì) matter (ma) Q?
22.5a 她 she 说 said 她 she 很 very 累 tired
22.5b (tā) she (shuō) said (tā) she (hěn) very (lèi) tired [no "that" in Chinese]
22.6a 如果 if 你 you 不 not 来 come ， , 那 then 我 I 一个人 alone 去 go
22.6b (rúguǒ) if (nǐ) you (bù) not (lái) come (nà) then (wǒ) I (yīgèrén) alone (qù) go
22.7a 那 that 些 CL-pl 年 years 很 very 艰苦 hard
22.7b (nà) that (xiē) CL-pl (nián) years (hěn) very (jiānkǔ) hard
22.8a 大家 everyone 都 all 认为 think 这 this 个 CL 计划 plan 可行 feasible
22.8b (dàjiā) everyone (dōu) all (rènwéi) think (zhè) this (gè) CL (jìhuà) plan (kěxíng) feasible [no "that"]
22.9a 那 then 就 then 这样 this-way 决定 decided 了 PERF
22.9b (nà) then (jiù) then (zhèyàng) this-way (juédìng) decided (le) PERF
22.10a 我 I 没 not-PAST 想到 think-of 那 that 一点 point
22.10b (wǒ) I (méi) not-PAST (xiǎngdào) think-of (nà) that (yī diǎn) point
22.11a 那 that 座 CL-structure 桥 bridge 建 built 于 in 一百年 hundred-years 前 ago
22.11b (nà) that (zuò) CL-structure (qiáo) bridge (jiàn) built (yú) in (yī bǎi nián) hundred-years (qián) ago
22.12a 他 he 希望 hopes 事情 matters 能 can 顺利 smoothly 解决 resolve
22.12b (tā) he (xīwàng) hopes (shìqing) matters (néng) can (shùnlì) smoothly (jiějué) resolve [no "that"]
22.13a 我 I 发现 discovered 学 studying 中文 Chinese 很 very 有趣 interesting
22.13b (wǒ) I (fāxiàn) discovered (xué) studying (Zhōngwén) Chinese (hěn) very (yǒuqù) interesting [no "that"]
22.14a 那 that 段 CL-segment 时间 time 是 is 他 his 人生 life 中 within 最 most 难忘 memorable 的 DE
22.14b (nà) that (duàn) CL-segment (shíjiān) time (shì) is (tā) his (rénshēng) life (zhōng) within (zuì) most (nánwàng) memorable (de) DE
22.15a 不管 no-matter 怎样 how ， , 那 that 都 all 已经 already 过去了 passed-PERF
22.15b (bù guǎn) no-matter (zěnyàng) how (nà) that (dōu) all (yǐjīng) already (guòqù le) passed-PERF
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22.1 那个人是谁？ "Who is that person?"
22.2 那本书是我的。 "That book is mine."
22.3 我知道他明天不来。 "I know he is not coming tomorrow."
22.4 你知道那件事吗？ "Do you know about that matter?"
22.5 她说她很累。 "She said she was very tired."
22.6 如果你不来，那我一个人去。 "If you don't come, then I'll go alone."
22.7 那些年很艰苦。 "Those years were very hard."
22.8 大家都认为这个计划可行。 "Everyone thinks this plan is feasible."
22.9 那就这样决定了。 "Then it's decided — just like this."
22.10 我没想到那一点。 "I hadn't thought of that point."
22.11 那座桥建于一百年前。 "That bridge was built a hundred years ago."
22.12 他希望事情能顺利解决。 "He hopes things can be resolved smoothly."
22.13 我发现学中文很有趣。 "I discovered that studying Chinese is very interesting."
22.14 那段时间是他人生中最难忘的。 "That period of time was the most memorable of his life."
22.15 不管怎样，那都已经过去了。 "Whatever the case, all of that has already passed."
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22.1 那个人是谁？ 22.2 那本书是我的。 22.3 我知道他明天不来。 22.4 你知道那件事吗？ 22.5 她说她很累。 22.6 如果你不来，那我一个人去。 22.7 那些年很艰苦。 22.8 大家都认为这个计划可行。 22.9 那就这样决定了。 22.10 我没想到那一点。 22.11 那座桥建于一百年前。 22.12 他希望事情能顺利解决。 22.13 我发现学中文很有趣。 22.14 那段时间是他人生中最难忘的。 22.15 不管怎样，那都已经过去了。
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These are the grammar rules for 那 (nà) — "that":
Demonstrative 那 — measure words required: The same measure word system introduced with 这 (Lesson 19) applies identically to 那. Before any noun, a measure word must intervene:
- 那个 (nà gè): that [general — people, objects] - 那本 (nà běn): that [bound volume — books, notebooks] - 那些 (nà xiē): those [plural — no number specified] - 那段 (nà duàn): that [segment or period — of time, road, music] - 那座 (nà zuò): that [large structure — bridge, building, mountain] - 那件 (nà jiàn): that [item or matter — 事 matter, 衣服 garment] - 那次 (nà cì): that [occasion or instance]
那 as logical connector — "then/in that case": When 那 begins a clause responding to a condition or preceding statement, it functions as a discourse connector: 如果你不来，那我一个人去 (If you don't come, then I'll go alone). This 那 is not a demonstrative — it draws a logical consequence. It is frequently reinforced by 就 (jiù, then/in that case): 那就这样吧 (Then let's do it this way).
The missing subordinating "that": This is the most important grammar point in this lesson. English uses "that" as a subordinating conjunction after a wide range of verbs:
- I know that he's coming - She said that she was tired - Everyone thinks that this plan is feasible - He hopes that things resolve smoothly - I discovered that Chinese is interesting
In every one of these sentences, Chinese simply juxtaposes the two clauses — the dependent clause follows the main verb directly, with no conjunction at all:
- 我知道他来 (I know [that] he's coming) - 她说她很累 (She said [that] she was tired) - 大家认为计划可行 (Everyone thinks [that] the plan is feasible) - 他希望事情顺利 (He hopes [that] things go smoothly) - 我发现中文有趣 (I discovered [that] Chinese is interesting)
This structure — called parataxis — is not a simplification. It is the natural, complete grammar of Chinese. The clauses flow directly into each other. Learners who insert 那 as a substitute for English "that" in this construction produce ungrammatical Chinese.
Common Mistakes: - *我知道那他来 — wrong; Chinese uses no conjunction: 我知道他来 - Confusing 那 (nà, that) with 哪 (nǎ, which?) — one tone apart, one radical different - Omitting the measure word: *那书是我的 — must be 那本书是我的
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那些年 (nà xiē nián, "those years") has a particular resonance in modern Chinese culture. The 2011 film 那些年，我们一起追的女孩 (literally: "Those years, the girl we chased together," released internationally as You Are the Apple of My Eye) became a generational touchstone across Chinese-speaking Asia. The phrase 那些年 entered everyday speech as a shorthand for shared nostalgic memory — a collective pointing backward at youth. When a Chinese speaker says 那些年, they invoke a whole emotional register: warmth, loss, laughter, and the irreversibility of time.
那 used temporally — 那时候 (nà shíhou, at that time), 那天 (nà tiān, that day), 那一刻 (nà yī kè, that moment) — is the grammar of memory and storytelling. Chinese narrative is full of this backward-pointing 那, anchoring episodes in a shared or remembered past.
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李白 (Lǐ Bái), 《静夜思》— Quiet Night Thoughts, c. 726 CE
The most memorised poem in the Chinese tradition. A traveller wakes in the night, sees moonlight on the floor, and thinks of home. The poem is four lines — twenty characters — and demonstrates the paratactic structure of classical Chinese at its most luminous.
举头望明月，低头思故乡。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
举 (jǔ) raise 头 (tóu) head 望 (wàng) gaze-at 明 (míng) bright 月 (yuè) moon ，
低 (dī) lower 头 (tóu) head 思 (sī) think-of 故乡 (gùxiāng) hometown
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
举头望明月，低头思故乡。
"I raise my head and gaze at the bright moon; I lower my head and think of home."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
举头望明月，低头思故乡。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
The two lines are in strict parallel — 举头 / 低头 (raise head / lower head), 望 / 思 (gaze / think of), 明月 / 故乡 (bright moon / hometown). Neither line contains a conjunction. The first action (raising, gazing) and its consequence (thinking of home) are simply placed side by side.
故乡 (gùxiāng): "hometown / native place" — 故 (old, former, from the past) + 乡 (village, rural place, home region). The compound carries the weight of roots, origin, and the place one belongs to before belonging anywhere else. It appears throughout Chinese poetry as the destination of longing.
思 (sī): classical "to think of / to miss / to long for" — in modern Chinese the verb is 想 (xiǎng) or 想念 (xiǎngniàn). 思 is literary and carries the additional sense of sustained, aching reflection.
F-E: Literary Commentary
Li Bai's couplet contains no 那, no demonstrative, no subordinating conjunction of any kind. It is pure parataxis — two actions, side by side, meaning accumulating between them without grammatical scaffolding. 那 as demonstrative points at things away from the speaker; here the poem points at home without needing the word. What the traveller cannot reach — the hometown — is the silent referent of the entire poem. The absence of 那 is itself expressive: home is too close in memory, and too far in reality, to be indicated with a mere pointing word.
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A narrator looks back at a formative summer at eighteen — the last before university. 那 appears throughout: pointing at time, at place, at objects of memory. Verbs of knowing, thinking, saying, and finding throughout demonstrate the paratactic structure — the subordinating "that" is conspicuously absent, by design.
22.16a 那 that 个 CL 夏天 summer ， , 我 I 十八 eighteen 岁 years-old
22.16b (nà) that (gè) CL (xiàtiān) summer (wǒ) I (shíbā) eighteen (suì) years-old
22.17a 我 I 知道 knew 那 that 是 is 最后 last 一个 one-CL 无忧无虑 carefree 的 DE 暑假 summer-holiday
22.17b (wǒ) I (zhīdào) knew (nà) that (shì) is (zuìhòu) last (yī gè) one-CL (wúyōuwúlǜ) carefree (de) DE (shǔjià) summer-holiday
22.18a 父母 parents 告诉 told 我 me 高考 university-entrance-exam 很 very 重要 important
22.18b (fùmǔ) parents (gàosu) told (wǒ) me (gāokǎo) university-entrance-exam (hěn) very (zhòngyào) important [no "that"]
22.19a 但 but 那 that 时候 time 我 I 只想 only-wanted 玩 play
22.19b (dàn) but (nà) that (shíhou) time (wǒ) I (zhǐ xiǎng) only-wanted (wán) play
22.20a 那 that 年 year 夏天 summer ， , 我 I 认识 met 了 PERF 一 one 位 CL-polite 老师 teacher
22.20b (nà) that (nián) year (xiàtiān) summer (wǒ) I (rènshi) met (le) PERF (yī wèi) one CL-polite (lǎoshī) teacher
22.21a 他 he 对 to 我 me 说 said 努力 hardworking 的 DE 人 people 从 never 不 not 后悔 regret
22.21b (tā) he (duì) to (wǒ) me (shuō) said (nǔlì) hardworking (de) DE (rén) people (cóng) never (bù) not (hòuhuǐ) regret [no "that"]
22.22a 我 I 觉得 felt 那 that 句话 sentence 说 said 得 DE 很 very 对 right
22.22b (wǒ) I (juéde) felt (nà) that (jù huà) sentence (shuō) said (de) DE (hěn) very (duì) right
22.23a 从 from 那 that 以后 onwards ， , 我 I 开始 began 认真 seriously 读书 study
22.23b (cóng) from (nà) that (yǐhòu) onwards (wǒ) I (kāishǐ) began (rènzhēn) seriously (dúshū) study
22.24a 我 I 发现 discovered 认真 seriously 学习 studying 其实 actually 并不 not-really 难 difficult
22.24b (wǒ) I (fāxiàn) discovered (rènzhēn) seriously (xuéxí) studying (qíshí) actually (bìng bù) not-really (nán) difficult [no "that"]
22.25a 那 that 个 CL 暑假 summer-holiday 结束 ended ， , 我 I 感觉 felt 自己 self 长大了 grown-up-PERF
22.25b (nà) that (gè) CL (shǔjià) summer-holiday (jiéshù) ended (wǒ) I (gǎnjué) felt (zìjǐ) self (zhǎngdà le) grown-up-PERF
22.26a 多年 many-years 后 after ， , 我 I 还是 still 记得 remember 那 that 位 CL-polite 老师 teacher 的 DE 名字 name
22.26b (duō nián hòu) many-years-after (wǒ) I (háishì) still (jìdé) remember (nà) that (wèi) CL-polite (lǎoshī) teacher (de) DE (míngzi) name
22.27a 他 he 说 said 的 DE 那 those 些话 words ， , 我 I 一直 always 带着 carry 走 walk
22.27b (tā) he (shuō) said (de) DE (nà xiē huà) those-words (wǒ) I (yīzhí) always (dài zhe) carry (zǒu) walk
22.28a 我 I 想 think 人生 life 里 in 那些 those 转折点 turning-points 都 all 值得 worth 珍惜 cherish
22.28b (wǒ) I (xiǎng) think (rénshēng) life (lǐ) in (nà xiē) those (zhuǎnzhédiǎn) turning-points (dōu) all (zhíde) worth (zhēnxī) cherish [no "that"]
22.29a 那 that 个 CL 夏天 summer 之后 after ， , 我 I 明白 understood 学习 studying 是 is 为了 for 自己 self
22.29b (nà) that (gè) CL (xiàtiān) summer (zhīhòu) after (wǒ) I (míngbai) understood (xuéxí) studying (shì) is (wèile) for (zìjǐ) self [no "that"]
22.30a 那 that 个 CL 夏天 summer ， , 是 is 我 my 人生 life 的 DE 起点 starting-point
22.30b (nà) that (gè) CL (xiàtiān) summer (shì) is (wǒ) my (rénshēng) life (de) DE (qǐdiǎn) starting-point
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22.16 那个夏天，我十八岁。 "That summer, I was eighteen."
22.17 我知道那是最后一个无忧无虑的暑假。 "I knew that was the last carefree summer holiday."
22.18 父母告诉我高考很重要。 "My parents told me the university entrance exam was very important."
22.19 但那时候我只想玩。 "But at that time I only wanted to play."
22.20 那年夏天，我认识了一位老师。 "That summer, I met a teacher."
22.21 他对我说努力的人从不后悔。 "He said to me that hardworking people never regret."
22.22 我觉得那句话说得很对。 "I felt that sentence was very well said."
22.23 从那以后，我开始认真读书。 "From that point on, I began to study seriously."
22.24 我发现认真学习其实并不难。 "I discovered that studying seriously is actually not difficult."
22.25 那个暑假结束，我感觉自己长大了。 "When that summer holiday ended, I felt I had grown up."
22.26 多年后，我还是记得那位老师的名字。 "Many years later, I still remember that teacher's name."
22.27 他说的那些话，我一直带着走。 "Those words he spoke, I have always carried with me."
22.28 我想人生里那些转折点都值得珍惜。 "I think those turning points in life are all worth cherishing."
22.29 那个夏天之后，我明白学习是为了自己。 "After that summer, I understood that studying is for oneself."
22.30 那个夏天，是我人生的起点。 "That summer was the starting point of my life."
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22.16 那个夏天，我十八岁。 22.17 我知道那是最后一个无忧无虑的暑假。 22.18 父母告诉我高考很重要。 22.19 但那时候我只想玩。 22.20 那年夏天，我认识了一位老师。 22.21 他对我说努力的人从不后悔。 22.22 我觉得那句话说得很对。 22.23 从那以后，我开始认真读书。 22.24 我发现认真学习其实并不难。 22.25 那个暑假结束，我感觉自己长大了。 22.26 多年后，我还是记得那位老师的名字。 22.27 他说的那些话，我一直带着走。 22.28 我想人生里那些转折点都值得珍惜。 22.29 那个夏天之后，我明白学习是为了自己。 22.30 那个夏天，是我人生的起点。
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The genre section is built around the paratactic structure. Identify the verbs that would require "that" in English translation, and observe that nothing links them to their dependent clauses:
我知道 [that] 那是最后一个暑假 — 知道 + clause, direct 父母告诉我 [that] 高考很重要 — 告诉 + person + clause, direct 我觉得 [that] 那句话说得很对 — 觉得 + clause, direct 我发现 [that] 学习并不难 — 发现 + clause, direct 我明白 [that] 学习是为了自己 — 明白 + clause, direct 我想 [that] 那些转折点都值得珍惜 — 想 + clause, direct
This pattern — cognitive verb followed immediately by clause — is the standard architecture of Chinese complex sentences involving thought, perception, and communication. Once internalised, it feels natural and even elegant in its directness.
从那以后 (cóng nà yǐhòu): "from that [point] onwards" — a fixed temporal phrase. 从 (from) + 那 (that) + 以后 (after/onwards). Frequently used in narrative to mark a pivot point: 从那以后，一切都变了 (From that point on, everything changed).
一直带着走 (yīzhí dài zhe zǒu): "always carry [them] along as one goes" — 一直 (always/continuously) + 带着 (carry, 着 indicating ongoing state) + 走 (walk/go). The phrase suggests something carried not in a bag but in the mind, accompanying every step.
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那 (nà) — IPA: /na˥˩/ — Fourth tone, falling sharply.
- n: dental nasal [n] — tongue tip to the upper teeth or just behind, not the alveolar ridge as in English - à: open low front-to-back vowel [a], produced at high pitch falling to low — the full fourth-tone drop - Tone 4: start high and fall decisively to the bottom of the pitch range — like a firm, short "No."
Critical contrast: - 那 nà (4th tone) = that - 哪 nǎ (3rd tone) = which? — the tone dips and rises; the character adds 口 - 拿 ná (2nd tone) = to hold / to take — tone rises - 哪 and 那 are among the most commonly confused pairs; practice the tone contrast carefully
In colloquial Beijing speech, 那个 (nàge) sometimes reduces to something close to 内个 (nèige) — a contracted form heard in informal speech but not used in writing or standard Mandarin.
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