哪家 (nǎ jiā) — (interrogative) which (store, restaurant, family, etc.)

Definition

哪家 is the interrogative 'which' used specifically with businesses, shops, hotels, and households (which restaurant, which family). Use 哪个 instead for 'which' with people or general things.

pronoun
(interrogative) which (store, restaurant, family, etc.)

Examples

  • 哪家？
    Nǐ xǐ huan qù nǎ jiā cān tīng chī fàn?
    Which restaurant do you like to eat at?
  • 哪家？
    nǎ jiā Chāo shì de shuǐ guǒ bǐ jiào xīn xiān?
    Which supermarket has fresher fruit?
  • 哪家？
    Nǐ zhù nǎ jiā jiǔ diàn?
    Which hotel are you staying at?

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

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