Usage note
那用来指代前面提到的人或事物。
nà lái zǔ dài qián miàn tōng dào de rén huò shì wù。
那 is used to refer to people or things mentioned earlier.
Context note
那常用于指代前面提到的物品或人物，比如在对话中指出某样东西或者某个人。
nà cháng yòng yú zhǐ dài qián miàn diǎo dào de wù pǐn huò rén lèi, bǐ 如 在对话说出某样东西或者某个人。
那 is commonly used to refer to items or people mentioned earlier, such as pointing out something or someone in a conversation.
5 examples
那是我的书包。
nà shì wǒ de shū bāo。
That is my schoolbag.
我看到那辆车了。
wǒ kàn dào nà liàng chē le。
I saw that car.
那本书是红色的。
nà běn shū shì hóng sè de。
That book is red.
那是你的朋友吗？
nà shì nǐ de péng yǒu ma？
Is that your friend?
我昨天买了那件衣服。
wǒ zuó tiān mǎi le nà jiàn yī fu。
I bought that piece of clothing yesterday.
5 mini stories
妈妈指着那个玩具说那是我的。爸爸看着那辆车说那是他的。
mā mā zhǐ zhe nà ge wán jù shuō nà shì wǒ de。 bà ba kàn zhe nà liàng chē shuō nà shì tā de。
Mom pointed to the toy and said that was mine. Dad looked at the car and said that was his.
老师问同学们，那是不是你们的作业？大家都说是的。
lǎo shī wèn tóng xué men， nà shì bu shì nǐ men de zuò yè？ dà jiā dōu shuō shì de。
The teacher asked the students if that was their homework, and everyone said yes.
我昨天在公园看到了那只狗，今天又在街上看到了那条狗。
wǒ zuó tiān zài gōng yuán kàn dào le nà zhī gǒu， jīn tiān yòu zài jiē shàng kàn dào le nà tiáo gǒu。
I saw that dog in the park yesterday, and today I saw it on the street again.
妈妈说那是她的包，爸爸说那是他的包。
mā ma shuō nà shì tā de bāo， bà ba shuō nà shì tā de bāo。
Mom said that was her bag, while Dad said that was his.
我昨天借了那本书，今天还给同学了。
wǒ zuó tiān jiè le nà běn shū， jīn tiān hái gěi tóng xué le。
I borrowed that book yesterday and returned it to my friend today.
Mini dialogue
那是什么？
A
那是什么？
Nà shì shénme?
What is that?
B
那是我的书包。
Nà shì wǒ de shūbāo.
That is my schoolbag.
那本书
A
那本书好看吗？
Nà běn shū hǎokàn ma?
Is that book interesting?
B
很好看。
Hěn hǎokàn.
Yes, very interesting.
Related words and contrasts
opposite
这
zhè
this
那 means 'that' (far), 这 means 'this' (near).
similar
那个
nà ge
that one
那 is often used with 个 to point at a specific thing.