Meaning of 哪里
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- where?
- somewhere
- anywhere
- wherever
- nowhere (negative answer to question)
- humble expression denying compliment
- where?
- somewhere
- anywhere
- wherever
- nowhere (negative answer to question)
- humble expression denying compliment
- also written 哪裡|哪里
How to use 哪里
哪里 is the standard way to ask where, and it goes in the same spot in the sentence where the place would go in the answer. It is also a polite, modest reply to a compliment. Example: 你住在哪里？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎlǐ?) Where do you live?
哪 (nǎ) means which, and 里 (lǐ) means inside or place, so 哪里 is literally "which place," or where. Picture the mouth radical 口 on 哪 as someone asking out loud which place you mean.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 哪里 (nǎlǐ, where) and 那里 (nàlǐ, there). The characters look alike and differ only by the 口 radical and the tone: third tone nǎ asks a question, fourth tone nà points to a place. Also, in speech 哪里 is often pronounced náli, because the third tone on 哪 changes before 里.
哪里 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
哪 nǎ · how · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
里 lǐ · lining · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 哪里.
Questions about 哪里
What does 哪里 mean?
哪里 (nǎlǐ) means "where?; somewhere" and is used as a pronoun.
How do you write 哪里?
哪里 is made of 2 characters: 哪 (9 strokes), 里 (7 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 哪里 an HSK word?
Yes. 哪里 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 哪里 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 哪里 is written 哪裡|哪裏.
Why do people say 哪里哪里 when they get a compliment?
Saying 哪里哪里 (nǎlǐ nǎlǐ) is a humble way to brush off praise, a bit like "oh, not at all." It is polite and common, though younger speakers often just say 谢谢 (xièxie) instead.
What is the difference between 哪里 and 哪儿?
They mean the same thing. 哪儿 (nǎr) is more common in northern and Beijing speech, while 哪里 is used everywhere and sounds a little more standard or southern.