那么 meaning in English
like that; in that way; to that extent; (before a number) ... or so; about ...
Meaning of 那么
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- like that; in that way; to that extent
- (before a number) ... or so; about ...
- then; in that case
- variant of 那麼|那么[na4 me5]
How to use 那么
那么 is used before adjectives to mean "so" or "that", at the start of a sentence to mean "then" or "in that case", and before numbers to mean "about". Example: 他没有你那么高。(Tā méiyǒu nǐ nàme gāo.) He is not as tall as you.
那 (nà) means "that" and 么 (me) is the same little ending you see in 什么 (shénme) and 怎么 (zěnme). Put them together and you get "that way" or "that much", pointing at a manner or degree over there.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 那么 (nàme) and 这么 (zhème). Use 这么 for something near or just mentioned by you, and 那么 for something farther away or mentioned by someone else. Also, 么 is usually read in the neutral tone, so do not stress it as mó.
那么 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.
那 nà · that · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
么 me · interrogative particle · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 那么.
| 什么 | shénme | what?; something; anything |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how?; what? |
| 那些 | nàxiē | those |
| 那里 | nàlǐ | there; that place |
| 干什么 | gàn shénme | what are you doing?; what's he up to? |
| 没什么 | méi shénme | it doesn't matter; it's nothing; never mind; think nothing of it; it's my pleasure; you're |
| 那边 | nàbiān | over there; yonder |
| 那儿 | nàr | there |
| 为什么 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? |
| 这么 | zhème | so much; this much |
| 怎么样 | zěnmeyàng | how?; how about? |
| 那样 | nàyàng | that kind; that sort |
Questions about 那么
What does 那么 mean?
那么 (nàme) means "like that; in that way; to that extent; (before a number) ... or so; about ..." and is used as a pronoun.
How do you write 那么?
那么 is made of 2 characters: 那 (6 strokes), 么 (3 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 那么 an HSK word?
Yes. 那么 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 那么 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 那么 is written 那麼.
What is the difference between 那么 and 那样?
Both can mean "like that". 那么 mostly comes before adjectives or verbs to show degree, as in 那么好 (nàme hǎo). 那样 (nàyàng) can also stand alone or describe a noun, as in 那样的人 (nàyàng de rén), a person like that.
Can 那么 start a sentence?
Yes. At the start of a sentence it means "then" or "in that case" and connects to what was just said. For example, 那么，我们走吧。(Nàme, wǒmen zǒu ba.) Well then, let's go. In casual speech people often shorten it to just 那 (nà).