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哪里 (nǎ lǐ) — where; (used to deny a compliment) not at all; you flatter me; (in negative statements) anywhere; nowhere

Definition

Use 哪里 as the polite reply to compliments ("you flatter me / not at all"), and in negative sentences to mean "anywhere / nowhere" (e.g. 我哪里也不去). In plain "where?" questions, 哪里 and 哪儿 are interchangeable.

pronoun
where(used to deny a compliment) not at allyou flatter me(in negative statements) anywherenowhere
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，哪里。
    Tā shuō wǒ de shū hěn hǎo, wǒ shuō nǎ lǐ.
    He said my book is very good, and I said 'not at all'.
  • 哪里？
    Nǐ nǎ lǐ?
    Where are you?
  • 哪里。
    Wǒ nǎ lǐ yě bú qù.
    I'm not going anywhere.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

哪nǎwhich
里lǐinside

The 哪 'which' and the place sense of 里 'inside' combine to ask 'where'.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 哪 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

Grammar

Appears in
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