What Does 哪里哪里 (nǎli nǎli) Mean in Chinese?
Traditional: 哪裡哪裡Reviewed context lessonRecognizable
You flatter me / Not at all
Quick answer: What does 哪里哪里 mean?
哪里哪里 — A traditional modest response to praise. Learners often meet it early, though modern speakers may simply say 谢谢 in many situations.
✓You flatter me.
✓Not at all.
✓I’m not that good.
What Chinese people actually mean
The phrase is culturally recognizable, but it can sound more old-fashioned or deliberately modest than a simple 谢谢, depending on speaker and context.
Chinese characters
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
哪nǎhow里lǐMeaning in this word: context-dependent
Real conversations
1 · Responding to praise
A: 你中文说得真好。
nǐ Zhōngwén shuō de zhēn hǎo.
A: Your Chinese is really good.
B: 哪里哪里，还差得远呢。
nǎli nǎli, hái chà de yuǎn ne.
B: You flatter me. I still have a long way to go.
How to pronounce 哪里哪里
哪里哪里
Tap to hear Mandarin.
nǎ3rd tone ˇ
lineutral/light in common speech
nǎ3rd tone ˇ
lineutral/light in common speech
When to use it
✓A classic modest response to a compliment.
✓Modern speakers often just say 谢谢, especially casually.
✓Useful to recognize even if you do not use it frequently.
Sources and editorial note
Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.Context lesson: Original Real Chinese launch content.