這/那/哪 — Deixis along one line: 這 points near (this), 那 points far (that), 哪 marks the spot you point at without knowing which (asks: which one).

grammar → 這/那/哪

TSUMUGU · TBCL 1 (est.) · 語法

這/那/哪 grammar point · tier 2 · demonstratives 這 / 那 / 哪 (this / that / which)

Deixis along one line: 這 points near (this), 那 points far (that), 哪 marks the spot you point at without knowing which (asks: which one).

字源 FORM what the parts do

三 graphs share one line. 這 wears a road-foot (辶) left from its old sense, "to go meet"; the graph was borrowed by sound for the near word. 那 began as the name of a far town, its town-ear (阝) the meaning side; the graph was borrowed for the far word. 哪 is 那 with a mouth (口) added — the far graph said as a question. Two of the three carry the pointing word by loan, not by parts; 哪 alone shows its job on the page: a mouth on 那.

故事 STORY a scene to remember it by

A finger lands on the spot close to the foot, then swings out to a spot far down the line; at a third spot it hovers, not yet settled, and the mouth opens to ask for it.

字源記憶法

框 · Frame

這 [near] / 那 [far] / 哪 [the asked-for slot] + (measure + noun)

觸 · Trigger

Point to one thing and mark where it stands relative to you — close, far off, or the one you can't yet name.

序 · The move

1Place the thing on the line relative to you: close, far, or unknown.Close to me -> 這; away from me -> 那; I don't know which -> 哪.

2Read the graph you reached for back as a position.這 must stay near, 那 must stay far, 哪 must stay the asked-for slot. If the reading swaps, the choice is wrong.

3Attach the measure word and noun behind it.這本書 / 那本書 / 哪本書 — the slot fills the same frame.

例 · Examples

1這this (the near one)是is什麼what？

What is this?

界 · Boundary

這 vs 那

Distance from the speaker. 這 is the point near you (this); 那 is the point away from you (that). The line does not flip: near stays 這, far stays 那.

那 vs 哪

Settled vs open. 那 names a far point already fixed (that one); 哪 leaves the point open and asks for it (which one). 哪 is 那 with a mouth (口); the added mouth is the question.

哪 vs 什麼/誰

Scope of the asking. 哪 asks for a pick from a known set (which one); 什麼 asks for an unbounded thing (what); 誰 asks for a person (who).

✗ 那是什麼？ (for something in your own hand) → ✓ 這是什麼？

✗ 你要這個還是那個？— answered with 那 when you mean to ask → ✓ 你要哪個？

✗ 哪 used to point at a fixed far thing → ✓ 那 points; 哪 only asks

English this/that splits near from far but has no third member patterning with them for which — English reaches for a separate question word, so learners drop 哪 from the set and reach for 什麼.