Meaning of 那边
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- over there
- yonder
How to use 那边
那边 is used to point to a place or direction away from the speaker, often in casual speech. It can also mean "that side" in a dispute or "over there" in another city or country. Example: 厕所在那边。(Cèsuǒ zài nàbiān.) The restroom is over there.
那 (nà) means "that" and 边 (biān) means "side," so 那边 is literally "that side," the side over there away from you. Picture pointing across the street to the far side.
Common mistake: Learners often say 那边 with a first tone on 那 or forget that 边 is usually light or neutral in speech, nàbian. Also, do not mix up 那 (nà, that) with 哪 (nǎ, which); 哪边 (nǎbiān) means "which side."
那边 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
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- 2
- 3
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边 biān · side · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 那边.
Questions about 那边
What does 那边 mean?
那边 (nàbiān) means "over there; yonder" and is used as a pronoun.
How do you write 那边?
那边 is made of 2 characters: 那 (6 strokes), 边 (5 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 那边 an HSK word?
Yes. 那边 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 那边 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 那边 is written 那邊.
What is the difference between 那边 and 那里?
Both can mean "there." 那边 stresses a side or direction, like "over on that side," while 那里 points to a place more generally. In many everyday sentences they are interchangeable.
Can 那边 refer to people?
Yes. It can mean the people or group on the other side, as in 他那边同意了 (tā nàbiān tóngyì le), "his side agreed." It is also used for someone far away, like family in another country.