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which / where (in 哪儿)

9 strokes · 口 (mouth radical) + 那 (that) — asking 'that... which one?' · HSK 1

Where 哪 comes from

哪 is 那 (that — which you learned) with a mouth 口 attached: 'that' turned into a question by asking it aloud. Chinese built its question words by putting mouths on statements.

哪 in Chinese culture

哪 asks the essentials: 哪儿/哪里 (where?), 哪个 (which one?), 哪国人 (person of which country?). 你是哪里人? — 'where are you from?' — is the second question every new acquaintance asks (right after your name). And as an exclamation, 天哪! is 'oh heavens!'. Point at 那 (that) to state; open your mouth 哪 to ask.

Example

哪儿 nǎr — where

你是哪国人?
Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
What country are you from?

How to remember it

'That' 那 with a questioning mouth 口 — WHICH? WHERE?

那 (that) and 哪 (which) differ by one mouth — statement vs question, one radical apart.

Same sound, different tones

2nd ná
to take
3rd nǎ
which
4th nà
that

Words unlocked by 哪

哪儿 nǎr
where
哪个 nǎge
which one
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