Difference between 这 and 那 ?

[Kessha]

Hello

I wanted to ask if anybody can explain to me the difference between 这 (zhe4 - this) and 那 (na4 that).

It might be easy for native English speakers to understand the difference between "this" and "that", but I am from Germany and to me it is not very clear. So I have difficulties to tell whether I should use zhe4 or na4 in Chinese.

I appreciate any help, thank you very much!

[Hofmann]

"This/these" is close to the speaker. "That/those" is far from the speaker. I'm guessing you're mixing up "these" and "those."

[gerri]

German has - nearly - the same with "dies" vs. "das"/"jenes"- except it doesn't always help because we (Austrian here) don't use it quite the same way... the "close to the speaker"/"away from the speaker" is usually the best to remember, imo

[aprilz]

Is this possible that you're confused over 这, 那 is because you have seen them in different words associations? For example:

这儿, 那儿 (here, there)

这里, 那里, (here, there)

这个, 那个 (this one, that one)

这些, 那些 (these, those)

It is very rare for Chinese to use 这, 那 alone without associated with something else.

[Kessha]

Thanks for your help!

Yes I am confused because in my chinese book there are these sentences:

这 是 什么 书?

这 是 中文 书。

那 是 谁 的 杂志?

那 是 我 的 杂志。

So I don't unterstand why they use 这 in the first/second sentence and 那 in the third/fourth one.

[adrianlondon]

They're just using different words so that the text isn't as repetitive as it would be otherwise. That's also why they say "book" in the first example and "magazine" in the second!

[roddy]

If it helps, imagine 这 being someone holding something up - 'whose book is this (which I am physically holding, next to me)' and 那 being someone pointing at something on the other side of the room 'whose book is that (not near me, it's over there)'

[Kessha]

Thank you very much for your help! I unterstand it clearly now! thanks