nà tiān: 那天 - That Day

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• Summary: “那天” (nà tiān) is a fundamental Chinese time word that translates to “that day.” It's used to refer to a specific day in the past or future that is already known to both the speaker and the listener. Essential for storytelling, recounting events, or scheduling, understanding how to use “nà tiān” is a key step for any beginner learning to build narratives and have natural conversations in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): nà tiān
• Part of Speech: Time Noun / Adverbial Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: “That day,” referring to a specific, mutually understood day.
• In a Nutshell: “那天” is the verbal equivalent of pointing to a specific date on a calendar that you've already been talking about. It's the anchor word you use to set the scene for a story (“Remember my birthday party? That day…”) or to confirm a plan (“We're meeting on Friday, right? I'm busy that day.”). It provides specificity and connects sentences by referring back to a previously established time.

• 那 (nà): This character means “that” or “those.” It's a demonstrative pronoun used to point to something that is not close to the speaker, in contrast to 这 (zhè), which means “this.”
• 天 (tiān): This character originally depicted a large figure representing the sky or heavens. In modern Chinese, its most common meaning is “day” or “sky.”
• When combined, 那 (that) + 天 (day) literally and logically form “那天” (that day).

While “那天” is a simple, functional word, its importance lies in its role in shared experience and storytelling, which are central to building relationships (关系, guānxi) in Chinese culture. Using “那天” implies a shared context or memory between people, reinforcing their connection. For a Western learner, it's useful to compare “那天” with the English phrase “the other day.” “The other day” is often vague, referring to some unspecified day in the recent past. In contrast, “那天” is highly specific. It refers to a definite day that has been clearly established. For example, if you're talking about your graduation ceremony from two years ago, you would use “那天” to mean “that specific day of the graduation,” not just some random day around that time. This highlights a preference for clear, context-dependent references in Chinese communication. It's less about a deep philosophical value and more about a pragmatic feature of the language that facilitates clear and efficient storytelling.

“那天” is an extremely common word used across all registers of speech, from casual chats to formal reports.

• Recounting Past Events: This is its most common use. It usually appears at the beginning of a sentence to establish the time frame for the story.
  • “那天我看到了一个很有意思的电影。” (That day I saw a very interesting movie.)
• Referring to Future Plans: It can also refer to a specific future day that has been decided upon.
  • “我们周五开会。那天请不要迟到。” (We have a meeting on Friday. Please don't be late on that day.)
• On Social Media: People often use “那天” in captions for photos, especially for “Throwback Thursday” (#tbt) style posts, to reminisce about a specific event or trip.

Its connotation is entirely neutral and depends on the context of the story being told.

• Example 1:
  • 我记得我们第一次见面的那天。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ jìde wǒmen dì yī cì jiànmiàn de nà tiān.
  • English: I remember the day we first met.
  • Analysis: Here, “那天” refers to a specific, memorable day in the past. The structure “…的那天” is very common, turning “that day” into the object of the verb “remember” (记得).
• Example 2:
  • 那天天气特别好，我们决定去公园。
  • Pinyin: Nà tiān tiānqì tèbié hǎo, wǒmen juédìng qù gōngyuán.
  • English: The weather was especially good that day, so we decided to go to the park.
  • Analysis: A classic storytelling setup. “那天” is placed at the beginning of the sentence to set the time for the entire narrative that follows.
• Example 3:
  • 你还记得吗？那天我们都笑得肚子疼。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ hái jìde ma? Nà tiān wǒmen dōu xiào de dùzi téng.
  • English: Do you still remember? That day we all laughed until our stomachs hurt.
  • Analysis: This example shows how “那天” reinforces a shared memory between two people, making the conversation more intimate.
• Example 4:
  • A: 我们下周六去看电影，怎么样？ (Wǒmen xià zhōuliù qù kàn diànyǐng, zěnmeyàng?)
  • B: 不行啊，那天我要加班。 (Bùxíng a, nà tiān wǒ yào jiābān.)
  • English: A: How about we go see a movie next Saturday? B: I can't, I have to work overtime that day.
  • Analysis: This dialogue demonstrates the use of “那天” to refer to a specific future day that was just mentioned.
• Example 5:
  • 那天之后，他再也没有回来过。
  • Pinyin: Nà tiān zhīhòu, tā zài yě méiyǒu huílái guò.
  • English: After that day, he never came back again.
  • Analysis: “那天之后” (after that day) is a common construction used to mark a turning point in a story, indicating a significant change that happened following a specific day.
• Example 6:
  • 我忘了那天是谁付的钱。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ wàng le nà tiān shì shéi fù de qián.
  • English: I forgot who paid the money that day.
  • Analysis: This shows “那天” being used in the middle of a sentence to specify the time of a particular action within a clause.
• Example 7:
  • 考试是7月10号。我希望那天我不会生病。
  • Pinyin: Kǎoshì shì 7 yuè 10 hào. Wǒ xīwàng nà tiān wǒ bù huì shēngbìng.
  • English: The exam is on July 10th. I hope I don't get sick on that day.
  • Analysis: Another clear example of referring to a specific future date. The first sentence establishes the date, and the second sentence uses “那天” to refer back to it.
• Example 8:
  • 那天晚上，我们聊到了很晚。
  • Pinyin: Nà tiān wǎnshang, wǒmen liáo dào le hěn wǎn.
  • English: That night, we talked until very late.
  • Analysis: You can add parts of the day like “晚上” (evening), “早上” (morning), or “下午” (afternoon) after “那天” to be even more specific.
• Example 9:
  • 老板说项目必须在月底前完成，但是他没说具体是那天。
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn shuō xiàngmù bìxū zài yuèdǐ qián wánchéng, dànshì tā méi shuō jùtǐ shì nà tiān.
  • English: The boss said the project must be finished before the end of the month, but he didn't say which specific day.
  • Analysis: This sentence cleverly uses the question form of “那” (nǎ - which) to show contrast. Here, “那天” would mean “that day,” while “哪天” (nǎ tiān) means “which day.” The speaker is lamenting the lack of a specific “那天”. (Note: The characters are different in writing: 那 vs 哪, though the pinyin for the question is nǎ). This sentence is written as nà tiān, implying the boss didn't specify that day.
• Example 10:
  • 从那天起，我开始每天学习中文。
  • Pinyin: Cóng nà tiān qǐ, wǒ kāishǐ měitiān xuéxí Zhōngwén.
  • English: From that day on, I started studying Chinese every day.
  • Analysis: The phrase “从…起” (cóng…qǐ) means “starting from…” and is often paired with “那天” to mark the beginning of a new habit or phase in life.

• “那天” (nà tiān) vs. “那一天” (nà yī tiān):
  • These are largely interchangeable. “那天” is more common in everyday speech. “那一天” can add a slight literary or emphatic flavor, like saying “on that one day” or “that single day,” often used when the day was particularly significant. For beginners, sticking with “那天” is perfectly fine.
• “那天” (nà tiān) vs. “当天” (dàng tiān):
  • This is a critical distinction. “那天” refers to a day previously mentioned. “当天” means “on that very day” or “the same day,” and it links two events as happening on the same date.
  • Example: 他星期一到北京，当天就去参观了故宫。 (Tā Xīngqīyī dào Běijīng, dàng tiān jiù qù cānguān le Gùgōng.) - “He arrived in Beijing on Monday and visited the Forbidden City that same day.”
  • Incorrect Usage: Using “那天” here would be grammatically okay but less precise and natural. “当天” emphasizes the immediacy of the second action.
• Forgetting the Context:
  • The most common mistake is using “那天” without establishing which day you are talking about first. You cannot start a conversation with a stranger saying, “那天我吃了一个苹果 (That day I ate an apple),” because they will have no idea which day you mean. Always make sure the context is clear.

• 这天 (zhè tiān) - “This day,” often used to refer to the current day in a narrative or a day that is contextually closer than “那天”.
• 有一天 (yǒu yì tiān) - “One day” or “someday.” Used to start a story in the indefinite past (“Once upon a time…”) or to talk about an unspecified future day.
• 那时候 (nà shíhou) - “That time” or “back then.” A broader reference to a period of time (e.g., an era, a year, a season), not just a single day.
• 当天 (dàng tiān) - “That same day” or “on the very day.” Emphasizes that an event happened on the same day as another previously mentioned event.
• 昨天 (zuótiān) - “Yesterday.” A fixed, specific time word that is a core part of daily vocabulary.
• 改天 (gǎi tiān) - “Another day.” A common and slightly indirect way to postpone a plan or decline an invitation, meaning “let's do it some other day.”