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A specific book indicated by the speaker, often with a gesture or prior context.
这本书很好看，那本书更好。
This book is good, but that book is better.
那本书是我最喜欢的。
That book is my favorite.
Used to refer to a book that is not the one being held or discussed immediately before. Often implies distance (physical or conceptual) from the speaker.
Chinese uses '这' (zhè) for 'this' and '那' (nà) for 'that' to indicate proximity. Remember: '这' (close) vs. '那' (far). The measure word '本' (běn) is used for books, similar to how '本' is used for other bound items like magazines or notebooks.
Always use '那' (nà) to refer to something distant from the speaker, whether physically or conceptually. Use '这' (zhè) for something close. This distinction is crucial for clarity in conversation.
The phrase combines the demonstrative pronoun '那' (nà, meaning 'that') with the noun '本书' (běn shū, meaning 'book'). '本' is a measure word for books, and '书' means 'book'. The structure follows standard Chinese grammar for indicating specific objects.
1. '那本书' is used when referring to a book that is not physically close to the speaker or has been previously mentioned. For books near the speaker, use '这本书' (this book). 2. The measure word '本' is essential for counting books in Chinese. 3. In spoken Chinese, the tone of '那' (nà) may drop slightly when used in context, but it remains clearly distinguishable from '哪' (nǎ, meaning 'which').