Definitions
(pronoun)
that; those
(adverb)
then; in that case
(prounoun)
that; those (colloquial pronunciation)
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. ⻏ represents the meaning and 冄 represents the sound.
About
The character "那" combines the phonetic element "冄" with the radical "阝", which relates to land or terrain, pointing to an original association with place or location. In early usage, it served as a demonstrative for distant referents and appeared in designations for regions and clans, gradually solidifying into a primary distal demonstrative pronoun meaning "that". While its form has remained consistent, the character's functional range expanded over centuries, adopting roles in conjunctions and adverbial constructions, thus transitioning from a term with spatial connotations to a versatile grammatical marker in modern Chinese.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那是我的狗。
那里有很多人。
那么我们现在走吧。
那个孩子很聪明。
如果你不去，那我也不去。
那本书的内容非常有趣。
在那种情况下，我们应该冷静。
尽管那时很困难，但他从未放弃。