Demonstrative pronouns nàme 那么/那麼 ‘that way’, nàyàng 那样/那樣 ‘that kind’, zhème 这么/這麼 ‘this way’, zhèyàng 这样/這樣 ‘this kind’ are used to express the manner of an action or the intensity of an adjective. They usually modify verbs and adjectives, and are often used in comparative sentences
Structure
When the demonstrative pronouns nàme 那么/那麼 ‘so; in that way’, nàyàng 那样/那樣 ‘so; in that way’, zhème 这么/這麼 ‘so; in this way’, zhèyàng 这样/這樣 ‘so; this kind’ modify a verb or an adjective, they should be placed before the verb or the adjective which they modify.
Modifying a verb
He often speaks in that way.
He often speaks in that way.
You can write in this way.
You can write in this way.
If the verb takes an object in this kind of sentence, the object is usually put at the beginning of the sentence.
object
这个汉字，
這個漢字，
Zhè ge Hànzì,
You can write this Chinese character in this way.
object
这个汉字，
這個漢字，
Zhè ge Hànzì,
You can write this Chinese character in this way.
object
这个菜，
這個菜，
Zhè ge cài,
Can you make this dish in that way?
object
这个菜，
這個菜，
Zhè ge cài,
Can you make this dish in that way?
Modifying an adjective
subject
这些东西
這些東西
Zhèxiē dōngxi
These things are so heavy.
subject
这些东西
這些東西
Zhèxiē dōngxi
These things are so heavy.
prepositional phrase
对你们
對你們
duì nǐmen
She is so cordial to you.
prepositional phrase
对你们
對你們
duì nǐmen
She is so cordial to you.
In comparative sentences with the verb yǒu 有 ‘to have’ demonstrative pronouns stand before the adjective. This structure indicates that the first item or person being compared (A) does not possess the feature compared (e.g. degree, quality, characteristics, or condition) to the same extent as the second (B).
A
今天的作业
今天的作業
Jīntiān de zuòyè
Today's homework is as difficult as yesterday's.
A
今天的作业
今天的作業
Jīntiān de zuòyè
Today's homework is as difficult as yesterday's.
She is not as tall as you.
She is not as tall as you.
Also check Comparison with yǒu 有
Also check Comparison with méi yǒu 没有
As an object
Zhèyàng 这样/這樣 and 那样/那樣 nàyàng can also follow the verb alone and serve as object in the sentence, whereas zhème 这么/這麼 and nàme 那么/那麼 cannot be used in this way.
She wants to act like that.
Functions
1. Expressing relatively close features or manners of performing an action.
Zhème 这么/這麼 and zhèyàng 这样/這樣 refer to the features of objects or manners of performing the action that are considered by the speaker to be relatively close to him/her.
我新的汽车这么快。
我新的汽車這麼快。
Wǒ xīn de qìchē zhème kuài.
My new car is so fast.
这里的秋天这样漂亮。
這裡的秋天這樣漂亮。
Zhèli de qiūtiān zhèyàng piàoliang.
The autumn here is so beautiful.
我这么回答，你们都清楚了吗？
我這麼回答，你們都清楚了嗎？
Wǒ zhème huídá, nǐmen dōu qīngchu le ma?
Are you all clear when I answer in this way?
你看，笔应该这么拿。
你看，筆應該這麼拿。
Nǐ kàn, bǐ yīnggāi zhème ná.
Look, the brush should be held like this.
你这样说，她会不高兴。
你這樣說，她會不高興。
Nǐ zhèyàng shuō, tā hui bù gāoxìng.
She will be unhappy if you speak in this way.
2. Expressing relatively distant features or manners of performing an action.
Nàme 那么/那麼 and nàyàng 那样/那樣 refer for features of objects or manners of performing the action that are considered by the speaker to be relatively distant to him/her.
我的朋友的汽车那么快。
我的朋友的汽車那麼快。
Wǒ de péngyou de qìchē nàme kuài.
The car of my friend is so fast.
那里的冬天那样冷。
那裡的冬天那樣冷。
Nàli de dōngtiān nàyàng lěng.
The winter there is so cold.
你怎么知道他会那么想？
你怎麼知道他會那麼想？
Nǐ zěnme zhīdào tā huì nàme xiǎng?
How do you know that he'll think like that?
老师已经说了，这个词你不能那么用。
老師已經說了，這個詞你不能那麼用。
Lǎoshī yǐjīng shuō le, zhège cí nǐ bù néng nàme yòng.
The teacher has already said that you cannot use this word in that way.
昨天他对我那样说了，我就很生气了。
昨天他對我那樣說了，我就很生氣了。
Zuótiān tā duì wǒ nàyàng shuō le, wǒ jiù hěn shēngqì le.
When he spoke me in that way yesterday, I got angry.
3. Expressing the intensity or degree.
Nàme 那么/那麼 ‘so; in that way’, nàyàng 那样/那樣 ‘so; in that kind’, zhème 这么/這麼 ‘so; in this way’, and zhèyàng 这样/這樣 ‘so; in this kind’ can be used before an adjective, to indicate a relatively high degree of the feature described by it.
这些香蕉这么好吃。
這些香蕉這麼好吃。
Zhèxiē xiāngjiāo zhème hào chī.
These bananas are so tasty.
你姐姐那么聪明，那么漂亮!
你姐姐那麼聰明，那麼漂亮!
Nǐ jiějie nàme cōngming, nàme piàoliang!
Your older sister is so smart, so beautiful!
They can also appear in comparative sentences with yŏu 有 ‘to be’ which aim at comparing the degree of intensity of a certain feature. The construction “demonstrative pronoun – adjective” is often translated with construction “as – adjective – as”.
那个苹果有这个这样甜。
那個蘋果有這個這樣甜。
Nàge píngguǒ yǒu zhè ge zhèyàng tián.
That apple is as sweet as this one.
今天天气有昨天那么好。
今天天氣有昨天那麼好。
Jīntiān tiānqì yǒu zuótiān nàme hǎo.
Today's weather is as good as yesterday's.
他妹妹没有你这么聪明。
他妹妹沒有你這麼聰明。
Tā mèimei méi yǒu nǐ zhème cōngmíng.
Her younger sister is not as smart as you.
今天坐公共汽车没有骑自行车那么快。
今天坐公共汽車沒有騎自行車那麼快。
Jīntiān zuò gōnggòng qìchē méi yǒu qí zìxíngchē nàme kuài.
Today going by bus is not as fast as by bike.
They can also be placed before verbs indicating mental activities or modal verbs to express a high degree of engagement in the activity or feeling described by the verb.
我这么喜欢红色的衣服。
我這麼喜歡紅色的衣服。
Wǒ zhème xǐhuan hóngsè de yīfu.
I like red clothes so much!
我这样爱你！
我這樣愛你！
Wŏ zhèyàng ài nǐ.
I love you so much!
她女儿那么喜欢吃包子。
她女兒那麼喜歡吃包子。
Tā nǚ’ér nàme xǐhuan chī bāozi.
Her daughter likes eating baozi so much.
王老师那样相信你。
王老師那樣相信你。
Wáng lǎoshī nàyàng xiāngxìn nǐ.
Teacher Wang trusts you so much.
她这么会画画儿，你知道吗？
她這麼會畫畫兒，你知道嗎？
Tā zhème huì huà huàr, nǐ zhīdao ma？
Did you know that she could paint so well？
4. Indicating the manner of an action.
When nàme 那么/那麼 ‘so; in that way’, nàyàng 那样/那樣 ‘so; in that way’, zhème 这么/這麼 ‘so; in this way’, and zhèyàng 这样/這樣 ‘so; in this way’ are placed before the verbs indicating actions, changes or developments , they can also express the manner of performing the action.
她那么说了，你们都明白了吗？
她那麼說了，你們都明白了嗎？
Tā nàme shuō le, nǐmen dōu míngbai le ma？
Did you all understand when she said it in that way?
他那样做，好不好？
他那樣做，好不好？
Tā nàyàng zuò, hǎo bu hǎo?
Is it ok that he does it in that way?
这个汉字应该这么写。
這個漢字應該這麼寫。
Zhè ge Hànzì yīnggāi zhème xiě.
This Chinese character should be written this way.
这个故事就这样开始。
這個故事就這樣開始。
Zhè ge gùshi jiù zhèyàng kāishǐ.
This story just begins this way.
Also check Comparative sentences with yǒu 有
en
cs
da
de
it
pl