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plDemonstrative pronouns zhèr 这儿/這兒 / zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’, nàr 那儿/那兒 / nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ are used to point to specific places or locations. Demonstrative pronouns zhèr 这儿/這兒 ‘here’ and nàr 那儿/那兒 ‘there’ are mostly used in northern parts of China ‘, zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’ and nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ are mostly used in southern parts.
Structure
The demonstrative pronouns zhèr 这儿/這兒 / zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’, nàr 那儿/那兒 / nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ can stand independently in the sentence as subject or object.
As subject
In this kind of sentences the verb yǒu 有 ‘there is/are’ is often used.
As object
The demonstrative pronouns zhèr 这儿/這兒 / zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’, nàr 那儿/那兒 / nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ can also be used before the noun that they modify. In this case the structural particle de 的 is usually placed between the demonstrative pronoun and the noun.
A noun phrase composed of a demonstrative pronoun, the structural particle de 的 and a noun can stand in position of subject or object in the sentence.
As subject
As object
Demonstrative pronouns zhèr 这儿/這兒 / zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’, nàr 那儿/那兒 / nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ can also be placed after a personal pronoun or a noun referring to a person to indicate a place. In this case the structural particle de 的 is not needed.
With prepositions
Demonstrative pronouns are often used with prepositions such as zài 在 ‘in’, cóng 从/從 ‘from’, dào 到 ‘to’. They together form a prepositional phrase, in which the preposition stands before the demonstrative pronoun.
The prepositional phrase with demonstrative pronouns usually stands before the verb or adjective functioning as the predicate in the sentence.
Functions
1. Indicating places
Zhèr 这儿/這兒 ‘here’ and zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’ refer to places or locations that are relatively closer to the speaker, whereas nàr 那儿/那兒 ‘there’ and nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ are used for places or locations that are relatively more distant to the speaker.
In the following sentences zhèr 这儿/這兒 ‘here’ and zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’ indicate a place which is relatively close do the speaker.
In the following sentences nàr 那儿/那兒 ‘there’ and nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ indicate a place which is relatively distant from the speaker.
If the object is not a place word, but is a personal pronoun or a noun representing a person or thing, it usually needs to be followed by zhèr 这儿/這兒 / zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’, nàr 那儿/那兒 / nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ to form a place phrase.
When indicating places, zhèr 这儿/這兒 / zhèli 这里/這裡 ‘here’, nàr 那儿/那兒 / nàli 那里/那裡 ‘there’ are often used together with prepositions zài 在 ‘in’, cóng 从/從 ‘from’ and dào 到 ‘to’.