谁？
shéi?
Who?
How to say "where?" in Chinese
哪里？
nǎlǐ?
Where?
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
哪里 is a compound of 哪 (nǎ) "which" and 里 (lǐ) "inside," but together it simply means "where." It's a fixed question word.
Variations and politeness
在哪里？
zài nǎlǐ?
Where is it? — More polite, specifying location.
你在哪里？
nǐ zài nǎlǐ?
Where are you? — Casual, personal question.
Mini dialogue
A
你在哪里？
Nǐ zài nǎlǐ?
Where are you?
B
我在学校。
Wǒ zài xuéxiào.
I'm at school.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you want to ask about a place or location.
- In both formal and informal situations, as it is neutral in tone.
- When you need a simple, direct question word for 'where'.
Avoid when
- When you are responding to a compliment; in that context, 哪里 means 'not at all'.
- When you want to ask 'which one' rather than 'where'; use 哪个 instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'where' in Chinese?
You say 哪里 (nǎlǐ?). It is the standard word for 'where'.
How do you pronounce 哪里?
It is pronounced 'nǎlǐ?' with the third tone on both syllables.
When do you use 哪里?
Use 哪里 to ask about a location, such as in 你住在哪里? (Where do you live?). It is neutral and widely used.
More phrases for this situation
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