哪里 nǎ lǐ
“where?; somewhere; anywhere”
pronoun2021 list level 1Traditional 哪裏
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
哪里 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 133: 哪里 nǎlǐ — Level 1; official annotation 1 (代). PDF page 83
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 哪里
哪里 means "where" and asks about a place; it can also be used alone or repeated (哪里哪里) as a humble reply to a compliment, meaning "not at all". In a direct question where 哪里 is the question word, do not add 吗; in an indirect question after verbs like 知道, 吗 can still appear at the end (你知道他在哪里吗？).
例句Example sentences
- 你的学校在哪里？nǐ de xué xiào zài nǎ lǐ?Where is your school?
- 请问，哪里可以买地铁票？qǐng wèn, nǎ lǐ kě yǐ mǎi dì tiě piào?Excuse me, where can I buy subway tickets?
- 你汉语说得真好！哪里哪里，还差得远。nǐ hàn yǔ shuō de zhēn hǎo! nǎ lǐ nǎ lǐ, hái chà de yuǎn.Your Chinese is really good! Not at all, I still have a long way to go.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗你从哪里来吗？
✓你从哪里来？
In this direct question, the question word 哪里 already marks the question, so 吗 is not used; 吗 is possible when 哪里 is inside an indirect question, e.g. 你知道他从哪里来吗？
易混词Easily confused
哪里vs哪儿
哪儿 is the colloquial equivalent of 哪里, common in northern speech; 哪里 is more formal and is the usual form in the humble reply 哪里哪里.
义项All meanings
- nǎ lǐ: where?; somewhere; anywhere; wherever; nowhere (negative answer to question); humble expression denying compliment
- nǎ lǐ: where?; somewhere; anywhere; wherever; nowhere (negative answer to question); humble expression denying compliment