Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 那么 AND 这么
In English, we use the words “that” and “so” to emphasize the extent of adjectives.
For instance, we may say “She is so beautiful” or “Life is so hard!” to express our feelings.
那么 (nà me) and 这么 (zhè me) serve the same function in Chinese.
HOW TO USE 那么 AND 这么 | STRUCTURE
Structure
We put 那么 and 这么 before adjectives to modify them.
It has the same sentence structure as in English. It’s pretty straightforward:
PATTERN
Subject + 那么/这么 + Adjective
When to Use Which One
Most people feel confused when distinguishing between “那么“ and “这么.”
TIP | You can think of 那么 as ‘that (+ adjective)’, and 这么 as ‘this (+adjective)’, in the sense that 那么 indicates a distance from the speaker, and 这么 indicates a closeness to the speaker (in either time or proximity).
| 那么 | Distance | That (+ adjective) |
| 这么 | Closeness | This (+adjective) |
For example, when talking about a celebrity, one would say, “她那么漂亮.”
However, if you were looking at her picture, “她这么漂亮” would be acceptable as well. Here’s another example:
- 他以前那么胖，现在怎么这么瘦？
- tā yǐ qián nà me pàng，xiàn zài zěn me zhè me shòu
- He used to be so fat, why is he so thin now?
However, in some cases, it is hard to estimate the distances.
- 需要做的工作这么多。V.S. 需要做的工作那么多。
- xū yào zuò de gōng zuò zhè (nà) me duō
- There is so much work to be done.
We don’t need to force ourselves to choose between “那么” and “这么.” We can use both in these situations; both are okay.
HOW TO USE 那么 AND 这么 | EXAMPLES
Now, let’s apply them in sentences!
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FAQs
How to use 那么 and 这么?
Most people feel confused when understanding the difference between “那么“ and “这么.”
You can think of 那么 as ‘that (+ adjective)’, and 这么 as ‘this (+adjective)’, in the sense that 那么 indicates a distance from the speaker, and 这么 indicates a closeness to the speaker (in either time or proximity).
For example, when talking about a celebrity, one would say, “她那么漂亮.” However, if you were looking at her picture, “她这么漂亮” would be acceptable as well.
What is the structure with 那么/ 这么?
We put 那么 and 这么 before adjectives to modify them.
It has the same sentence structure as in English. It’s pretty straightforward.
Subject + 那么/这么 + Adjective
What are some examples with 那么?
科技发展得那么快，未来一定是数字化的。
kē jì fā zhǎn dé nà me kuài，wèi lái yī dìng shì shù zìhuà de
Technology is developing so fast. The future will surely be digital.
这个小镇以前环境那么好。
zhè gè xiǎo zhèn yǐ qián huán jìng nà me hǎo
This town used to be in such a good environment
你那么聪明，一定能猜到。
nǐ nà me cōng míng ，yīdìng néng cāi dào
You are so smart that you must have guessed.
What are some examples with 这么?
今天天气这么好，我们去野餐吧！
jīn tiān tiān qì zhè me hǎo，wǒ men qù yě cān ba
The weather is so lovely today, let’s go for a picnic!
这啤酒这么好喝，你一定要尝尝！
zhè pí jiǔ zhè me hǎo hē ，nǐ yī dìng yào cháng cháng
This beer is so good, you must try it!
他以前那么胖，现在怎么这么瘦？
tā yǐ qián nà me pàng ，xiàn zài zěn me zhè me shòu
He used to be so fat, why is he so thin now?
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