Demonstrative Adverbs: 那么、这么、那样、这样

Chinese grammar · HSK 2 · 指示代词 · By Carson 木林森

These four words modify adjectives or verbs to express degree or manner.

那么 nà me like that 这么 zhè me so much 那样 nà yàng that kind 这样 zhè yàng this kind of

| 词 | 距离 | 用法 | 例 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这么 | near (this) | degree/manner adverb | 这么好 |
| 那么 | far (that) | degree/manner adverb | 那么贵 |
| 这样 | near (this) | manner adverb / predicate | 这样做 |
| 那样 | far (that) | manner adverb / predicate | 那样说 |

这么/那么 directly precede adjectives: 你怎么这么快？
这样/那样 describe the manner of an action: 你不能那样说话。
Near forms (这) refer to the current situation; far forms (那) refer to something external or surprising.

Worked examples

Chinese	Pinyin	English	What it shows
你怎么这么快就做完了？	Nǐ zěn me zhè me kuài jiù zuò wán le?	How did you finish so quickly?	这么 (this/so) + adjective 快; speaker is surprised by the near/present result
那么贵的东西，我买不起。	Nà me guì de dōng xi, wǒ mǎi bù qǐ.	Something that expensive, I can't afford it.	那么 modifies 贵 to mean 'that expensive'; refers to an external object the speaker is pointing at
你不应该那样对他说话。	Nǐ bù yīng gāi nà yàng duì tā shuō huà.	You shouldn't talk to him like that.	那样 describes the manner of the action 说话; far form because the speaker disapproves of that behavior

Produce this pattern without stopping to think about it. GraphChinese drills Demonstrative Adverbs across 13 exercises and schedules the review that keeps it.

What this opens up

These patterns list Demonstrative Adverbs among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.

Comparison with 跟

Demonstrative Adverbs is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.

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