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哪
nǎ
which
你要哪本书？
Which book do you want?
informal
used in questions to ask for a choice or selection among a limited set
哪个好看？
Which one is better?
你要去哪儿？
Where are you going?
Often used with measure words (e.g., 哪本, 哪个) to specify the category of items being asked about.
informal
used rhetorically to express uncertainty or negation
哪有那么简单！
It's not that simple!
Common in exclamations to emphasize impossibility or difficulty.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Pair with measure words
哪 must be followed by a measure word (e.g., 本 for books, 个 for objects) or a noun to specify the category. For example, 哪本书 'which book' vs. 哪个 'which one' (general objects).
Gold Rule
Question formation
哪 is used to ask 'which' or 'where' in questions. It cannot be used in statements or as a standalone noun.
Word Origin
From Old Chinese 'nǎ' (哪), a contraction of 'nǎi' (乃) + 'hū' (乎), originally meaning 'how' or 'why'. Evolved into an interrogative pronoun in modern Chinese.
Usage Notes
哪 is always used in questions and cannot stand alone as a noun or verb. It must be paired with a measure word or noun to specify the category of items being asked about (e.g., 哪本书 'which book'). In rhetorical questions, it often appears with 有 'have' to express negation (e.g., 哪有钱 'how could there be money?').
Word Breakdown
哪
interrogative pronoun
root汉英词典