哪
which? (哪国人 = a person from which country?)
Structure
哪 （+ 数词） + 量词 + 名词 ？ · 哪国人 ？
What it means
哪 nǎ means “which?”. It needs a measure word or 国 after it: 哪个 (which one), 哪国人 (from which country).
How it is built
哪 (+ number) + measure word + noun？: 哪个是你的手机？ (Which one is your phone?) 你是哪国人？——我是美国人。 (Where are you from? — I'm American.)
When to use it
你是哪国人？ asks for a country; 你是哪儿人？ (with 哪儿 from lesson p-3) asks which place or city someone is from. Like 什么, 哪 sits where the answer goes.
Watch out
Don't mix up 哪 nǎ (3rd tone, “which?”) and 那 nà (4th tone, “that”): 哪个？ which one? · 那个 that one. No 吗 after a 哪 question.
Examples
你是哪国人？——我是美国人。
Where are you from? — I’m American.
哪个是你的手机？
Which one is your phone?
他是哪个国家的人？
Which country is he from?
Learn this in HSK 1 · Lesson 2: 你是哪国人 (Where are you from?)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
Open the lesson →