<p><strong>什么 = what</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li>你叫<strong>什么</strong>名字？= <strong>What</strong> is your name?</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>哪 = which/where</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>他们是<strong>哪</strong>国人？= <strong>Which</strong> country do they come from?</p>
</li>
<li><p>他们是<strong>哪</strong>來的？= <strong>Where</strong> do they come from?</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-02T15:19:06.647Z
2023-04-02T15:19:06.647Z
r13
<p>What is the difference between shénme 什么 and nǎ 哪?</p>
<p>It is hard to have a rule for right or wrong. In some cases, they can be exchanged with each other, in other cases, they can not.</p>
<p>(1) If not connected with another noun, <strong>什么</strong> means a thing and <strong>哪</strong> means a place. For example,</p>
<p>这是什么？ 这是苹果。</p>
<p>你去哪？ 我回家。</p>
<p>(2) Both can be connected with another noun. Sometimes they are exchangeable. For example，</p>
<p>你<strong>什么时候</strong>过生日？= <strong>哪天</strong>是你的生日？= When is your birthday?</p>
<p>(3) In some situations, <strong>什么</strong> points to a thing of a broad range, while <strong>哪个</strong> to a thing in a limited number of things.</p>
<p>你叫<strong>什么</strong>名字？= What's your name?</p>
<p><strong>哪个</strong>名字是你的? = Which name is yours? (When looking at a list of names)</p>
<p>(4) For countries, always use 哪国. But for locations, you can say 哪个地方 or 什么地方。For example,</p>
<p>你是哪国人？ 我是美国人。= Which country are you from? I am from the USA.</p>
<p>你是什么地方的人？= 你是哪个地方的人？= 你的老家是哪里？= Where is your hometown?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-02T16:28:55.147Z
2023-04-02T16:28:55.147Z
PdotWang
<p>I can not really understand the difference and found no article about it.</p>
<p>Example :
你叫什么名字？Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
他们是 哪 国人？ Tāmen shì nǎ guó rén?</p>
<p>Thanks !</p>

<mandarin><simplified-characters>
What is the difference between shénme 什么 and nǎ 哪?
# What is the difference between shénme 什么 and nǎ 哪?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-02)

I can not really understand the difference and found no article about it.

Example :
你叫什么名字？Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
他们是 哪 国人？ Tāmen shì nǎ guó rén?

Thanks !

**Tags:** mandarin, simplified-characters

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-04-02. Score: 2

**什么 = what**.

* 你叫**什么**名字？= **What** is your name?

**哪 = which/where**.

* 他们是**哪**国人？= **Which** country do they come from?
* 他们是**哪**來的？= **Where** do they come from?


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-04-02. Score: 0

What is the difference between shénme 什么 and nǎ 哪?

It is hard to have a rule for right or wrong. In some cases, they can be exchanged with each other, in other cases, they can not.

(1) If not connected with another noun, **什么** means a thing and **哪** means a place. For example,

这是什么？ 这是苹果。

你去哪？ 我回家。

(2) Both can be connected with another noun. Sometimes they are exchangeable. For example，

你**什么时候**过生日？= **哪天**是你的生日？= When is your birthday?

(3) In some situations, **什么** points to a thing of a broad range, while **哪个** to a thing in a limited number of things.

你叫**什么**名字？= What's your name?

**哪个**名字是你的? = Which name is yours? (When looking at a list of names)

(4) For countries, always use 哪国. But for locations, you can say 哪个地方 or 什么地方。For example,

你是哪国人？ 我是美国人。= Which country are you from? I am from the USA.

你是什么地方的人？= 你是哪个地方的人？= 你的老家是哪里？= Where is your hometown?


---

