Demonstrative pronouns zhè 这/這 ‘this’, nà 那 ‘that’, zhèxiē 这些/這些 ‘these’, nàxiē 那些 ‘those’ are used to point to specific persons or objects.
Structures
Demonstrative pronouns are usually placed before a noun. In this case, a numeral and a measure word are usually used between the demonstrative pronouns zhè 这/這 ‘this, nà 那 ‘that’ and the noun. The numeral is usually omitted when speaking about one person or object.
When they stand before some nouns related to time, such as tiān 天 ‘day’ and nián 年 ‘year’，shí 时/時 ‘time’, no measure word is needed.
The plural form of demonstrative pronouns is formed by adding the measure word xiē 些 after zhè 这/這 and nà 那, resulting in zhèxiē 这些/這些 ‘these’ and nàxiē 那些 ‘those’. In this construction, no other measure words are used.
A noun phrase composed of a demonstrative pronoun, measure word (optional), numeral (optional) and a noun can stand in position of subject or object in the sentence.
As a subject：
subject
这个小孩
這個小孩
Zhè ge xiǎohái
This kid is cute.
subject
这些小孩
這些小孩
Zhèxiē xiǎohái
These kids are cute.
subject
那两张画儿
那兩張畫兒
Nà liǎng zhāng huàr
adjective
漂亮。
漂亮。
piàoliang.
Those two pictures are beautiful.
subject
那些画儿
那些畫兒
Nàxiē huàr
adjective
漂亮。
漂亮。
piàoliang.
Those pictures are beautiful.
As an object:
object
这张画儿。
這張畫兒。
zhè zhāng huàr.
He especially likes this picture.
object
这几张画儿。
這幾張畫兒。
zhè jǐ zhāng huàr.
He especially likes these several pictures.
object
那部电影。
那部電影。
nà bù diànyǐng.
He especially likes that movie.
object
那些电影。
那些電影。
nàxiē diànyǐng.
He especially likes those movies.
When the noun modified by the demonstrative pronouns is obvious because it is known from the context, it can be omitted in the sentence. In this kind of sentence, the demonstrative pronouns zhè 这/這 ‘this‘ and nà 那 ‘that‘ need to be followed be a measure word.
A: 你买哪本书？
A: 你買哪本書？
Nǐ mǎi nǎ běn shū?
Which book do you buy?
B: 这本。
B: 這本。
Zhè běn.
This one.
A: 哪张画儿比较好看？
A: 哪張畫兒比較好看？
Nǎ zhāng huàr bǐjiào hǎokàn?
Which picture is nicer?
B: 那张很好看。
B: 那張很好看。
Nà zhāng hěn hǎokàn.
That one is nice-looking/good.
A: 你喜欢哪些画儿？
A: 你喜歡哪些畫兒？
Nǐ xǐhuan nǎxiē huàr？
Which pictures do you like？
B: 我喜欢这些。
B: 我喜歡這些。
Xǐhuan zhèxiē.
I like these.
Demonstrative pronouns zhè 这/這 ‘this’, nà 那 ‘that‘, zhèxiē 这些/這些 ‘these’, nàxiē 那些 ‘those’ also can stand independently as a subject. In this kind of sentences the verb shì 是 ‘to be’ is usually used as a predicate.
object
他的自行车。
他的自行車。
tā de zìxíngchē.
That is his bike.
object
他的东西。
他的東西。
tā de dōngxi.
Those are his things.
Questions
An interrogative pronoun such as shéi/shuí 谁/誰, shénme 什么/什麼 should be placed in the position of the item that is asked about.
interrogative pronoun
谁？
誰？
shéi?
Who is this?
interrogative pronoun
谁的
誰的
shéi de
Whose is this purse?
interrogative pronoun
谁的？
誰的？
shéi de?
Whose are these?
interrogative pronoun
什么 ？
什麼？
shénme？
What are those?
In questions, the interrogative pronouns nǎ 哪 and nǎxie 哪些 appear in the same position as the demonstrative pronouns zhè 这/這, nà 那, zhèxiē 这些/這些, and nàxiē 那些 in the corresponding answers.
Which film do they want to see?
Answer:
They want to see this film.
Answer:
Functions
1. Pointing to specific people or things
When pointing to specific people or things, zhè 这/這 ‘this’ and zhèxiē 这些/這些 ‘these’ are used to refer to people or things that are relatively closer to the speaker. Nà 那 ‘that’ and nàxiē 那些 ‘those’ are used for people or things that are relatively more distant to the speaker.
我觉得这件礼物真不错。
我覺得這件禮物真不錯。
Wǒ juéde zhè jiàn lǐwù zhēn búcuò.
I think this gift is really great/not bad.
The speaker says this sentence while pointing at the object in her/his hand.
这个故事很有意思。
這個故事很有意思。
Zhè ge gùshi hěn yǒu yìsi.
That story is very interesting.
The speaker says this sentence just after hearing the story.
那些学生为什么不来上课？
那些學生為什麼不來上課？
Nàxiē xuésheng wèi shénme bù lái shàng kè？
Why don’t those students come to class?
The speaker says this sentence while sitting in the classroom and watching those students being outside.
我们一定想去那个地方。
我們一定想去那個地方。
Wǒmen yídìng xiǎng qù nà ge dìfang.
We surely want to go to that place.
The place is far away from the speakers.
这本书是我的，那本书是你的。
這本書是我的，那本書是你的。
Zhè běn shū shì wǒ de, nà běn shū shì nǐ de.
This book is mine, that book is yours.
The first book is near to the speaker, the second book is far from him/her.
2. Replacing people or things.
When people or things are clear from the context or have already been mentioned, they can be replaced by zhè 这/這, nà 那, zhèxiē 这些/這些, or nàxiē 那些. In this use, they may function as either the subject or the object of the sentence, and the verb shì 是 is frequently used.
这是我妈妈。
這是我媽媽。
Zhè shì wŏ māma.
This is my mom.
那些是他的同学。
那些是他的同學。
Nàxiē shì tā de tóngxué.
Those are his classmates.
这些是谁的东西？
這些是誰的東西？
Zhèxiē shì shéi de dōngxi？
Whose are those things？
他昨天买的苹果是那些。
他昨天買的蘋果是那些。
Tā zuótiān mǎi de píngguǒ shì nàxiē.
The apples he bought yesterday are those.
我喜欢那个手机，不喜欢这个。
我喜歡那個手機，不喜歡這個。
Wǒ xǐhuan nà ge shǒujī, bù xǐhuan zhè ge.
I like that mobile and don’t like this one.
Also other verbs can be used as predicate in the sentences with zhè 这/這 ‘this’ and zhèxiē 这些/這些 ‘these’, nà 那 ‘that’ and nàxiē 那些 ‘those’ as predicates.
这不行！
這不行！
Zhè bù xíng！
This is not acceptable./This won’t work.
Zhè 这/這 ‘this’ can also replace a whole phrase or a sentence. In this case, it is used in a following sentence or phrase. In the examples below zhè 这/這 refers to the whole sentence which precedes it.
小李当了我们的老师？这不可能吧！
小李當了我們的老師？這不可能吧！
Xiǎo Lĭ dāng le wŏmen de lǎoshī？Zhè bù kěnéng ba!
Xiao Li has become our teacher? It is not possible!
打球、跑步、游泳，这就是我最喜欢的运动。
打球、跑步、游泳，這就是我最喜歡的運動。
Dǎqiú, pǎo bù, yóu yǒng，zhè jiù shì wǒ zui xǐhuan de yùndòng!
Playing ball, running and swimming – these are my favourite sports.
Also check Interrogative pronoununs nǎ 哪 ‘which’, nǎxiē 哪些 ‘which ones’.
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