How can 那 be a variant of 哪?

Language Learning Chinese
1

Hi!

The dictionary I use says that 那 can mean 哪 (mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.p … =%E9%82%A3). How does this work? They’re basically the opposites of each other. How would one know which one is meant?

Thanks in advance for your help.

2

[quote=“Sko”]Hi!

The dictionary I use says that 那 can mean 哪 (mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.p … =%E9%82%A3). How does this work? They are basically the opposite of each other. How would one know which one is meant?

Thanks in advance for your help.[/quote]

I think what happened is before the character 哪 was created, 那 was used for both meaning. But of course like you said the two words have opposite meanings, so 哪 was created. But some books from back then and lazy people still use 那 to mean 哪

3

[quote=“hansioux”][quote=“Sko”]Hi!

The dictionary I use says that 那 can mean 哪 (mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.p … =%E9%82%A3). How does this work? They are basically the opposite of each other. How would one know which one is meant?

Thanks in advance for your help.[/quote]

I think what happened is before the character 哪 was created, 那 was used for both meaning. But of course like you said the two words have opposite meanings, so 哪 was created. But some books from back then and lazy people still use 那 to mean 哪[/quote]
Oh ok, I understand. Thank you!

4

There are some linguistic fuddy-duddies who claim that 那 should be properly used as the question word. I don’t like it, though. It’s confusing.

5

And thus, not as the demonstrative? Why do they say this?

6

And thus, not as the demonstrative?[/quote]
As both a demonstrative and an interrogative (same character, different tones). It’s the kind of old-school, stuffed-shirt pre-May-Fourth-Movement Mandarin that the KMT loved to cling to even though the 1990s.

7

And thus, not as the demonstrative?[/quote]
As both a demonstrative and an interrogative (same character, different tones). It’s the kind of old-school, stuffed-shirt pre-May-Fourth-Movement Mandarin that the KMT loved to cling to even though the 1990s.[/quote]
Oh ok, just for the sake of preserving the old, I assume(?).

8

[quote=“Sko”]Hi!

The dictionary I use says that 那 can mean 哪 (mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.p … =%E9%82%A3). How does this work? They’re basically the opposites of each other. How would one know which one is meant?

Thanks in advance for your help.[/quote]

You see, that’s Chinese … there is no reason, ever, you just have to accept it and carry on.