<p>Edit:</p>
<p>中国人：你的中文是[在哪里]学的？ indicates the question is asking 'where'</p>
<p>中国人：你的中文是[怎么]学的？ indicates the question is asking 'how'</p>
<p>中国人：你的中文是[从哪里]学的？ indicates the question is asking 'from what source'
And sources are not locations -- For example: from books, from classes, from T.V.</p>
<p>'From what source' = 'with what methods' --&gt;  'how' you learn</p>
<p>When the Chinese person asked '在哪里学的' but then claimed he was asking &quot;how&quot; he should have said 从哪里 instead of 在哪里</p>
<p>'在哪里' refers to 'what location' e.g. Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai.</p>
<p>'从哪里' refers to 'source' e.g. books, classes, the internet.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Does 「你的中文是在哪里学的？」mean “How did you study Chinese?” or “Where did you study Chinese?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It means “Where did you study Chinese?&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:53:45.437Z
So does 你的中文是在哪里学的？= 你的中文是怎么学的？
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:58:03.310Z
I was editing when you made your comment. I added the term 哪里 may refer to as 'from what location' or 'from what source' E.g. books, classes, the internet.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T22:01:50.770Z
But my question is can 你的中文是在哪里学的 mean 你的中文是在什么地方学的 ？or does it always mean 你的中文是怎么学的 ？
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T22:08:12.463Z
See my edition: 哪里' mainly  refer to 'what location, but it can refer to source
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T13:52:43.673Z
I change my mind, I now agree 在哪里 means "where"  it is not the same as 从哪里 and certainly not the same as 怎么
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:45:32.033Z
2020-07-11T13:54:01.983Z
2020-07-11T13:54:01.983Z
Tang Ho
<p>I think the trick here is that 学 doesn't necessarily stand for 学习 (study), it stands for 学会 (learn).</p>
<p>Thus they are asking: &quot;Where did you learn Mandarin?&quot;.</p>
<p>Unlike &quot;studying&quot;, &quot;learning&quot; a language can be a passive process, and can come from a variety of sources. Maybe you speak it at home with your parents, picked it up while working in China, etc. Having studied it is one of the options.</p>
<p>So 在哪里 assumes a broader, figurative meaning in this case. You can also see this as: &quot;How come you can speak Mandarin?&quot;</p>
<p>If you see it this way, your original answer isn't very spot-on in English either.</p>
<p>Since you are not required to point out a specific place, valid answers might be:</p>
<p>我父母是中国人, 我男/女朋友是中国人, 我在大学念中文, 我在中国工作了5年了, 我每个周末跟我的中国朋友一起去打台球, etc.</p>
<hr>
<p>To reduce ambiguity and ask in what place someone studied Chinese, you can say:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>你的中文是在<strong>什么地方</strong>学的？</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:32:36.323Z
But I asked the question :) If I want to ask “Where did you learn Chinese?” is “你的中文是在哪里学的?” one way to ask this question or does it always mean how/how come ?
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:35:41.190Z
@Kantura it tends to mean "how"/"how come". I edited my answer with a variant
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:43:22.773Z
But how about 你的手机是在哪里买的？Does this mean where or how did you buy it ?
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:45:41.800Z
@Kantura the difference is the verb. How would you reply in English to "Where did you **learn** Mandarin"? "At Beijing university" is not a very consequential answer.
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:58:18.033Z
Actually when people ask me where I learned Mandarin I do tell them Beijing university and they are satisfied with that answer.
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T22:01:58.603Z
@Kantura different people might interpret language subtleties differently. I'm not saying that I'm right and others are wrong. Though I can give you an unsolicited piece of advice: don't assume that absence of a reaction means approval. Some people just "let go" ;)
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T22:09:49.447Z
Thanks but there was never an “absence of reaction” :) . I’ve had conversations with groups of Chinese speaking westerners that went roughly like this: Jim: Where did you guys learn Chinese? Mary: I learned it at BFSU. Bob: I learned it in Tsinghua. Jim: Cool I learned it in my home university in London. I agree with you that language can be ambiguous though but this example is really bugging me. :)
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T22:11:58.200Z
@Kantura I see. I think in your example, as I said in my answer, the ambiguity of 在哪里 is given by the verb 学 （learn），which admits a wider range of valid answers.
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T21:24:35.097Z
2020-07-10T21:35:03.570Z
2020-07-10T21:35:03.570Z
blackgreen
<p>I agree with @dan's answer. Just like that &quot;<a href="http://www.prcba.com/news/5809.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">China always win</a>&quot; joke, the interpretation of this &quot;question&quot; depends heavily on the context.</p>
<p>Specifically, this rhetorical expression is mostly used colloquially where additional context can be provided via facial expressions, stresses and the general tone of the sentence.</p>
<p>I think there might have also been a tone particle like 啊 or 呀 you missed which would have made it clear it was rhetorical/exclamational. I.e. &quot;今天天怎么这么冷?&quot; could be a question or an exclamation, but &quot;今天天怎么这么冷<strong>啊</strong>!&quot; is undoubtedly rhetorical.</p>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<p>他问的是 how 你回答的是 where.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This explanation is poorly done. I think what your friend was trying to say was &quot;他问的是 how [come your English is so good] 你回答的是 where&quot;.</p>
<p>This involves another phenomenon where Chinese people read between the lines and respond to the subtext.</p>
<p>Also, as the listener may not be 100% sure if the expression is being used in a commendatory or derogatory sense, this kind of response strategically indicates which way the listener understood it as, which gives the asker a chance to clarify.</p>
<p>For example, this is a perfectly normal Chinese conversation:</p>
<p>A: 你这鸭脖是在哪里买的啊! (Read &quot;This duck neck tastes so good!&quot;)<br>
B: 楼底下超市*，好吃我明天再买</p>
<p>* In this case, answering the question literally is okay as the asker may actually be interested in that information.</p>
<p>And a derogatory version:</p>
<p>A: 你这车是<em>哪里</em>学的?! (Read &quot;Your driving sucks!&quot;)<br>
B: 我下次会注意</p>
<p>In this case, it is unlikely that the person is interested in the name of your driving school.</p>
<p>Your friend skipped a step and didn't explain this thinking process.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-13T00:20:50.417Z
2020-07-13T00:40:23.503Z
2020-07-13T00:40:23.503Z
billc.cn
<p>When a Chinese person ask you:
你的中文是在<strong>哪里</strong>学的？
He actually want to know:
which <strong>university</strong>, <strong>province</strong> or <strong>city</strong> you learned Chinese at?</p>
<p>And another implied meaning is that: Your Chinese is <strong>very good</strong>, so he is very curious and ask you this question.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-12T02:45:17.443Z
So is it ok to say 在北语学的 ？
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-12T02:26:24.283Z
2020-07-12T02:26:24.283Z
user25789
<p>I would say that in general conversation, the question &quot;你的中文是在哪里学的?&quot; usually refers to how you picked up the language.  But given some more context, perhaps a southerner is wondering which region of China you learned your 儿化音, this could literally be asking where.</p>
<p>To avoid confusion, I usually default to some general answer:</p>
<p>1.
中国人: 你的中文是在哪里学的?
老外: 我以前在上海读中文系毕业的</p>
<p>2.
中国人: 你的中文是在哪里学的?
老外: 我父母教的</p>
<p>If you simply answer with a location, the next question is almost guaranteed to be how.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-10T02:44:14.133Z
2021-12-10T02:44:14.133Z
noobular
<p>Strictly speaking, what he asked is where.</p>
<p>But in daily oral communication, as a native Chinese speaker, I can tell you both where and how is ok to answer.</p>
<p>I mean</p>
<p>If one person asks you
你的中文是在哪里学的？（where） and you answer &quot;My friends taught me&quot;(how)</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>If one person asks you
你的中文是怎么学的？（how） and you answer &quot;In 北京语言大学&quot;(where)</p>
<p>Every Chinese can understand you and even sometimes we ask like this.</p>
<p>Because broadly speaking, this sentence is to ask you in what ways, by what means, through what, where, how you learnt Chinese. It's not in a narrow sense where and how. You should figure out what he wanted to express instead of literal meaning.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-14T15:33:22.530Z
2020-07-14T15:33:22.530Z
眭泰铨
<p>When a Chinese person says 你的中文是在哪里学的? usually means you speak Chinese very well and just make him wonder why you learn so well! He may not care where you study from</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T09:29:06.390Z
Dan said : "The underlying meaning is 你的中文是在哪里学的？ (怎么这么差！)" seems like it all depend on context.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T11:36:56.230Z
@Tang Ho  Infact Chinese is so hard no foreigner could speak as well as us.   If my Chinese is 90 score, any foreigner has 20 score chinese people would say "你的中文太好了! "  so I don't agree with Dan's oponion.
Siwei
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T13:30:49.780Z
Haha, I said it depends on the context. You can use it on someone who is expected to be good at Chinese
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T13:36:56.707Z
Context is a key here. I agree that in some context that it could imply the foreigner speak Chinese well, but we can't assume that's the only context the sentence is being used. There could be some context you can make that sentence sarcastical. So, with the dialogue standing alone, we can't say which situation it is. We should take it literally in this case, unless OP can provide more context for analysis. @Siwei Shen 申思维
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T09:06:08.277Z
2020-07-11T09:31:23.520Z
2020-07-11T09:31:23.520Z
xiaoshitou
<p>哪里=where. Period.</p>
<p>Suggestion out of topic:</p>
<p>When someone told you &quot;你的中文太好了&quot;, you answered:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>谢谢</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My suggestion is to answer &quot;哪里哪里&quot; (not so out of topic, after all :-)</p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>请看看以下视频:<br />
1。<a href="http://m.baidu.com/video/page?pd=video_page&amp;nid=9440358596278494616&amp;sign=9963610072939971038&amp;word=%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C&amp;oword=%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C&amp;atn=index&amp;frsrcid=4185&amp;ext=%7B%22jsy%22%3A1%7D&amp;top=%7B%22sfhs%22%3A1%2C%22_hold%22%3A2%7D&amp;next_nid=12122603815815584171&amp;sl=4&amp;fr0=A&amp;fr1=A&amp;lid=10123768002958844301&amp;referlid=10123768002958844301&amp;ms=1&amp;frorder=3&amp;ssid=0&amp;from=844b&amp;uid=0&amp;pu=usm@5,sz@320_1001,ta@iphone_2_10.0_24_90.0&amp;bd_page_type=1&amp;baiduid=463944A79A0C8A3759F8CEECC772DB60&amp;tj=vid_hor_3_0_10_l1&amp;_t=1624384151319" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中国人自谦爱说“哪里哪里”，外国人就没法理解了</a><br />
2。<a href="http://m.baidu.com/video/page?pd=video_page&amp;nid=15573549132078162383&amp;sign=18180732268449795590&amp;word=%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E7%A7%B0%E8%B5%9E%E4%BD%A0%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88%E5%9B%9E%E7%AD%94&amp;oword=%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E7%A7%B0%E8%B5%9E%E4%BD%A0%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88%E5%9B%9E%E7%AD%94&amp;atn=index&amp;frsrcid=4185&amp;ext=%7B%22jsy%22%3A1%7D&amp;top=%7B%22sfhs%22%3A1%2C%22_hold%22%3A2%7D&amp;sl=4&amp;fr0=A&amp;fr1=A&amp;lid=10095243239536190187&amp;referlid=10095243239536190187&amp;ms=1&amp;frorder=3&amp;ssid=0&amp;from=844b&amp;uid=0&amp;pu=usm@8,sz@320_1001,ta@iphone_2_10.0_24_90.0&amp;bd_page_type=1&amp;baiduid=463944A79A0C8A3759F8CEECC772DB60&amp;tj=vid_fourfold_3_0_10_l1&amp;_t=1624386643246&amp;bk=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">请注意他说：&quot;轮到一个中国人说'你讲得很好'，我一定说'哪里哪里'。'你讲得很好'，'谢谢你的夸奖'，他嘴巴不讲，心里就开始反感了&quot;</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-22T15:49:51.940Z
Thanks but 哪里哪里 sounds very 老外 to me。I used it for a while but feel I have now graduated past 哪里哪里 :)
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-22T19:21:01.447Z
You are to be commended for trying not to sound as 老外 when speaking Chinese. Anyway, it would be interesting to know what made you think that 哪里哪里 sounds very 老外.
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-22T12:11:33.847Z
@Kantura I am also a little curious about the answer to giussepe's question. I did not mean to challenge your impression; I am just literally curious about how you got that impression:D
ALife
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T15:52:16.080Z
@ALife   I lived in China for 8 years and never once heard a Chinese person say 哪里哪里 but it is one of the phrases that students of Chinese seem to love saying. I could be wrong but that is just my own personal experience.
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-24T03:31:37.997Z
@Kantura Now I see where you are coming from. From my experience both as a party of a conversation and an observer of a conversation, 哪里哪里 is not necessary the only major response in similar scenarios, but certainly one of them. Other responses may include 你太客气了，谢谢，过奖了，您真会说话，不敢当，勉强说得过去而已，不算好，凑活吧, etc., depending on the specific circumstances and what you are praised for; 哪里哪里 is still probably the most generic one. As for your experience, it *could* be because the conversation became slightly more serious/formal with your presence & 哪里哪里 is in a slightly joking tone. Just my guess:D
ALife
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-22T04:47:39.143Z
2021-06-22T19:07:53.107Z
2021-06-22T19:07:53.107Z
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
<p>The question <code>你的中文是在哪里学的</code> is not quite correct.</p>
<p>I think the correct question should be: <code>在外国人里,你的中文真好,是怎么学的?</code></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T01:54:08.560Z
Saying 'not quite clear'  may be better than saying  'not quite correct. ' The questioner might want to know in what location you learned Chinese or he might want to know from what sources you learned English.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T14:11:19.220Z
I don't agree with that at all. So the next time a Chinese person asks me 你的中文是在哪里学的 I should reply: Sorry but your question is wrong, the correct question you should be asking is 在外国人里，你的中文真好，是怎么学的. That's crazy :) Chinese people never ask that second question and often ask the first. There is nothing wrong with the question. It is the interpretations of the question that are being discussed here.
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-12T01:25:50.137Z
OK,  no offensive. Sure you can disagree with me. You are not Chinese, I am. And there's a very interesting thing : We Chinese even don't know where the foreigners could study Chinese if you are not in Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou/Shenzhen.  And another fact: people will not ask a question very acquisitely/pricesly unless he is a software manager like I am.  So next time when you are asked "你的中文是在哪里学的?" , you can try to ask him: "谢谢, 你是想知道我在哪里学的,还是知道我怎么学的?"
Siwei
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-13T00:48:34.707Z
That's getting way too personal.  Also, where's the answer to the question *Does 「你的中文是在哪里学的？」 mean “How did you study Chinese?” or “Where did you study Chinese?”*
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-28T11:51:07.857Z
@Kantura You are correct, and I guess Siwei may be a heavy dialect user, and in his dialect  “你的中文是在哪里学的” can be used to ask **how**, so Siwei gives out an example about asking **how**. However, “你的中文是在哪里学的”  is absolutely correct in Chinese.
Limina102
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T01:38:22.360Z
2021-06-23T08:32:19.093Z
2021-06-23T08:32:19.093Z
Siwei
<blockquote>
<p>中国人：你的中文是在哪里学的？</p>
<p>我：在北京语言大学学的。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Without other context, this dialogue indicates a normal conversation sequence. '在哪里' just means 'where'.</p>
<p>In some context, 你的中文是在哪里学的？ could be used as a rhetorical question.  The underlying meaning is 你的中文是在哪里学的？ (怎么这么差！)  In English, it could be something like <em>from where have you learned such awful Chinese?</em> In this case, they may not want you to answer it literally. And I guess you don't want to answer it at all.</p>
<p>Out of that specific context, 你的中文是在哪里学的？ is just a normal sentence and your answer is a proper one.</p>
<p><em><strong>To me, 在哪里(where) doesn't mean 怎么(how) in any case.</strong></em> And your Chinese friend might say it out of certain context, in which you should use 怎么 other than 在哪里，otherwise he is plain wrong.</p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>Context is the key here.  你的中文是在哪里学的？could also imply someone's Chinese is very good and they want to know where they have learnt it.  But standing alone, we can't make any assumption about the context.  We should take it literally instead, unless OP can provide more context for analysis.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T02:01:41.440Z
I agree 在哪里(where) doesn't mean 怎么(how), but 哪里 beside referring to 'location', can refer to  'source' as well.  e.g. 我的中文是在北京學的；我的中文是在電視上學的
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T02:12:17.770Z
@TangHo well, I don't see your point.  OP didn't ask about 'location' or 'source' stuff, but 'how' and 'where'.  Have I misunderstood anything?
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T02:26:26.733Z
in "我的中文是在電視上學的"  電視上 is a 'source', learning from watching programs on T.V. is a method.  And a method is 'how you do something
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T03:34:21.980Z
@TangHo Well, op's question 你的中文是在哪里学的？  and the answer is 在北京语言大学学的 or you can reply 在电视上学的.  I don't see any problems in the dialogue. The Chinese person apparently indicates his response 在北京语言大学学的 improper, which I don't really agree.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T04:34:38.713Z
Yes, the Chinese person wanted to ask 'how', but his question didn't make it clear.  It could be answered the way the OP answered,
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-12T01:33:20.797Z
Is not the first part literally "Your Chinese"?
releseabe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T23:03:43.920Z
2020-07-11T13:45:17.657Z
2020-07-11T13:45:17.657Z
dan
<p>Recently I left the following post on social media:</p>
<p>中国人：你的中文是在哪里学的？</p>
<p>我：在北京语言大学学的。</p>
<p>Just to clarify, I wrote both those sentences to express a regular conversation that I have with Chinese people.
There is no more context. If it helps then let's say that the Chinese person heard me speak Chinese for the first time and I have pretty good Chinese.</p>
<p>A Chinese friend then commented:</p>
<p>他问的是 how 你回答的是 where.</p>
<p>Could it be that 在哪里 can not be used to mean 在什么地方 and can only be used to express 怎么?</p>
<p>If you saw the question 你的中文是在哪里学的？ would you interpret that as 你的中文是在哪个地方学的？ or as 你的中文是怎么学的？ or both, depending on context?</p>
<p>My main issue is this: I created the scenario so there is no more context to be given. One person asks 你的中文是在哪里学的 and the response is 在北京学的。If the question can be interpreted both ways i.e. where/how then the commenter was not justified in saying that the question meant ''how''. She could have pointed out that that question doesn't always mean literally ''where'' but she couldn't say that it doesn't mean ''literal where''.</p>
<p>If the question 你的中文是在哪里学的 does mean ''literal where'' in some contexts then that answers my question. She was not justified in making that comment. The answer was not ''incorrect'' as it is correct in some contexts and we do not know the context.</p>
<p>The following images were added later after a conversation I had with a new Chinese friend where they actually asked me this exact question and I questioned them on it.</p>
<p>Also, I presented this to the Chinese person who originally stated that 你的中文是在哪里学的 is a ''how'' question and they agreed that there was actually nothing wrong with my original dialogue after all.</p>
<p>I conclude that 你的中文是在哪里学的 means ''where'' in general, but depending on the context it can mean ''how''.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/lcl67.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/lcl67.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kg6Ca.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kg6Ca.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T04:48:45.713Z
Side note: 北京语言大学 is not the same as 北京大学语言系. Similarly, 少林武術學校 might not  have anything to do with 少林寺
Tang Ho
<meaning><meaning-in-context>
Does 「你的中文是在哪里学的？」mean "How did you study Chinese?" or "Where did you study Chinese?"
# Does 「你的中文是在哪里学的？」mean "How did you study Chinese?" or "Where did you study Chinese?"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-10)

Recently I left the following post on social media:

中国人：你的中文是在哪里学的？

我：在北京语言大学学的。

Just to clarify, I wrote both those sentences to express a regular conversation that I have with Chinese people.
There is no more context. If it helps then let's say that the Chinese person heard me speak Chinese for the first time and I have pretty good Chinese.

A Chinese friend then commented:

他问的是 how 你回答的是 where.

Could it be that 在哪里 can not be used to mean 在什么地方 and can only be used to express 怎么?

If you saw the question 你的中文是在哪里学的？ would you interpret that as 你的中文是在哪个地方学的？ or as 你的中文是怎么学的？ or both, depending on context?

My main issue is this: I created the scenario so there is no more context to be given. One person asks 你的中文是在哪里学的 and the response is 在北京学的。If the question can be interpreted both ways i.e. where/how then the commenter was not justified in saying that the question meant ''how''. She could have pointed out that that question doesn't always mean literally ''where'' but she couldn't say that it doesn't mean ''literal where''.

If the question 你的中文是在哪里学的 does mean ''literal where'' in some contexts then that answers my question. She was not justified in making that comment. The answer was not ''incorrect'' as it is correct in some contexts and we do not know the context.

The following images were added later after a conversation I had with a new Chinese friend where they actually asked me this exact question and I questioned them on it.

Also, I presented this to the Chinese person who originally stated that 你的中文是在哪里学的 is a ''how'' question and they agreed that there was actually nothing wrong with my original dialogue after all.

I conclude that 你的中文是在哪里学的 means ''where'' in general, but depending on the context it can mean ''how''.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/lcl67.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/lcl67.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kg6Ca.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kg6Ca.jpg)

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Side note: 北京语言大学 is not the same as 北京大学语言系. Similarly, 少林武術學校 might not  have anything to do with 少林寺  

---

## 10 answers

### Answer by username_9 on 2020-07-10. Score: 13 | Accepted answer

> 中国人：你的中文是在哪里学的？
>
> 我：在北京语言大学学的。

Without other context, this dialogue indicates a normal conversation sequence. '在哪里' just means 'where'.

In some context, 你的中文是在哪里学的？ could be used as a rhetorical question. The underlying meaning is 你的中文是在哪里学的？ (怎么这么差！) In English, it could be something like *from where have you learned such awful Chinese?* In this case, they may not want you to answer it literally. And I guess you don't want to answer it at all.

Out of that specific context, 你的中文是在哪里学的？ is just a normal sentence and your answer is a proper one.

***To me, 在哪里(where) doesn't mean 怎么(how) in any case.*** And your Chinese friend might say it out of certain context, in which you should use 怎么 other than 在哪里，otherwise he is plain wrong.

Edit:

Context is the key here. 你的中文是在哪里学的？could also imply someone's Chinese is very good and they want to know where they have learnt it. But standing alone, we can't make any assumption about the context. We should take it literally instead, unless OP can provide more context for analysis.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I agree 在哪里(where) doesn't mean 怎么(how), but 哪里 beside referring to 'location', can refer to  'source' as well.  e.g. 我的中文是在北京學的；我的中文是在電視上學的  
> **username_9**: @username_1 well, I don't see your point.  OP didn't ask about 'location' or 'source' stuff, but 'how' and 'where'.  Have I misunderstood anything?  
> **username_1**: in "我的中文是在電視上學的"  電視上 is a 'source', learning from watching programs on T.V. is a method.  And a method is 'how you do something  
> **username_9**: @username_1 Well, op's question 你的中文是在哪里学的？  and the answer is 在北京语言大学学的 or you can reply 在电视上学的.  I don't see any problems in the dialogue. The Chinese person apparently indicates his response 在北京语言大学学的 improper, which I don't really agree.  
> **username_1**: Yes, the Chinese person wanted to ask 'how', but his question didn't make it clear.  It could be answered the way the OP answered,  
> **username_14**: Is not the first part literally "Your Chinese"?  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-07-10. Score: 5

Edit:

中国人：你的中文是[在哪里]学的？ indicates the question is asking 'where'

中国人：你的中文是[怎么]学的？ indicates the question is asking 'how'

中国人：你的中文是[从哪里]学的？ indicates the question is asking 'from what source'
And sources are not locations -- For example: from books, from classes, from T.V.

'From what source' = 'with what methods' --> 'how' you learn

When the Chinese person asked '在哪里学的' but then claimed he was asking "how" he should have said 从哪里 instead of 在哪里

'在哪里' refers to 'what location' e.g. Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai.

'从哪里' refers to 'source' e.g. books, classes, the internet.

> Does 「你的中文是在哪里学的？」mean “How did you study Chinese?” or “Where did you study Chinese?”

It means “Where did you study Chinese?"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So does 你的中文是在哪里学的？= 你的中文是怎么学的？  
> **username_1**: I was editing when you made your comment. I added the term 哪里 may refer to as 'from what location' or 'from what source' E.g. books, classes, the internet.  
> **username_0**: But my question is can 你的中文是在哪里学的 mean 你的中文是在什么地方学的 ？or does it always mean 你的中文是怎么学的 ？  
> **username_1**: See my edition: 哪里' mainly  refer to 'what location, but it can refer to source  
> **username_1**: I change my mind, I now agree 在哪里 means "where"  it is not the same as 从哪里 and certainly not the same as 怎么  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-10. Score: 2

I think the trick here is that 学 doesn't necessarily stand for 学习 (study), it stands for 学会 (learn).

Thus they are asking: "Where did you learn Mandarin?".

Unlike "studying", "learning" a language can be a passive process, and can come from a variety of sources. Maybe you speak it at home with your parents, picked it up while working in China, etc. Having studied it is one of the options.

So 在哪里 assumes a broader, figurative meaning in this case. You can also see this as: "How come you can speak Mandarin?"

If you see it this way, your original answer isn't very spot-on in English either.

Since you are not required to point out a specific place, valid answers might be:

我父母是中国人, 我男/女朋友是中国人, 我在大学念中文, 我在中国工作了5年了, 我每个周末跟我的中国朋友一起去打台球, etc.

---

To reduce ambiguity and ask in what place someone studied Chinese, you can say:

> 你的中文是在**什么地方**学的？

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But I asked the question :) If I want to ask “Where did you learn Chinese?” is “你的中文是在哪里学的?” one way to ask this question or does it always mean how/how come ?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 it tends to mean "how"/"how come". I edited my answer with a variant  
> **username_0**: But how about 你的手机是在哪里买的？Does this mean where or how did you buy it ?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 the difference is the verb. How would you reply in English to "Where did you **learn** Mandarin"? "At Beijing university" is not a very consequential answer.  
> **username_0**: Actually when people ask me where I learned Mandarin I do tell them Beijing university and they are satisfied with that answer.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 different people might interpret language subtleties differently. I'm not saying that I'm right and others are wrong. Though I can give you an unsolicited piece of advice: don't assume that absence of a reaction means approval. Some people just "let go" ;)  
> **username_0**: Thanks but there was never an “absence of reaction” :) . I’ve had conversations with groups of Chinese speaking westerners that went roughly like this: Jim: Where did you guys learn Chinese? Mary: I learned it at BFSU. Bob: I learned it in Tsinghua. Jim: Cool I learned it in my home university in London. I agree with you that language can be ambiguous though but this example is really bugging me. :)  
> **username_2**: @username_0 I see. I think in your example, as I said in my answer, the ambiguity of 在哪里 is given by the verb 学 （learn），which admits a wider range of valid answers.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-07-13. Score: 2

I agree with @username_9's answer. Just like that "[China always win](http://www.prcba.com/news/5809.html)" joke, the interpretation of this "question" depends heavily on the context.

Specifically, this rhetorical expression is mostly used colloquially where additional context can be provided via facial expressions, stresses and the general tone of the sentence.

I think there might have also been a tone particle like 啊 or 呀 you missed which would have made it clear it was rhetorical/exclamational. I.e. "今天天怎么这么冷?" could be a question or an exclamation, but "今天天怎么这么冷**啊**!" is undoubtedly rhetorical.

---

> 他问的是 how 你回答的是 where.

This explanation is poorly done. I think what your friend was trying to say was "他问的是 how [come your English is so good] 你回答的是 where".

This involves another phenomenon where Chinese people read between the lines and respond to the subtext.

Also, as the listener may not be 100% sure if the expression is being used in a commendatory or derogatory sense, this kind of response strategically indicates which way the listener understood it as, which gives the asker a chance to clarify.

For example, this is a perfectly normal Chinese conversation:

A: 你这鸭脖是在哪里买的啊! (Read "This duck neck tastes so good!")  
B: 楼底下超市\*，好吃我明天再买

\* In this case, answering the question literally is okay as the asker may actually be interested in that information.

And a derogatory version:

A: 你这车是*哪里*学的?! (Read "Your driving sucks!")  
B: 我下次会注意

In this case, it is unlikely that the person is interested in the name of your driving school.

Your friend skipped a step and didn't explain this thinking process.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-07-12. Score: 1

When a Chinese person ask you:
你的中文是在**哪里**学的？
He actually want to know:
which **university**, **province** or **city** you learned Chinese at?

And another implied meaning is that: Your Chinese is **very good**, so he is very curious and ask you this question.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So is it ok to say 在北语学的 ？  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-12-10. Score: 1

I would say that in general conversation, the question "你的中文是在哪里学的?" usually refers to how you picked up the language. But given some more context, perhaps a southerner is wondering which region of China you learned your 儿化音, this could literally be asking where.

To avoid confusion, I usually default to some general answer:

1.
中国人: 你的中文是在哪里学的?
老外: 我以前在上海读中文系毕业的

2.
中国人: 你的中文是在哪里学的?
老外: 我父母教的

If you simply answer with a location, the next question is almost guaranteed to be how.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-07-14. Score: 1

Strictly speaking, what he asked is where.

But in daily oral communication, as a native Chinese speaker, I can tell you both where and how is ok to answer.

I mean

If one person asks you
你的中文是在哪里学的？（where） and you answer "My friends taught me"(how)

Or

If one person asks you
你的中文是怎么学的？（how） and you answer "In 北京语言大学"(where)

Every Chinese can understand you and even sometimes we ask like this.

Because broadly speaking, this sentence is to ask you in what ways, by what means, through what, where, how you learnt Chinese. It's not in a narrow sense where and how. You should figure out what he wanted to express instead of literal meaning.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2020-07-11. Score: 1

When a Chinese person says 你的中文是在哪里学的? usually means you speak Chinese very well and just make him wonder why you learn so well! He may not care where you study from

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Dan said : "The underlying meaning is 你的中文是在哪里学的？ (怎么这么差！)" seems like it all depend on context.  
> **username_8**: @username_1  Infact Chinese is so hard no foreigner could speak as well as us.   If my Chinese is 90 score, any foreigner has 20 score chinese people would say "你的中文太好了! "  so I don't agree with Dan's oponion.  
> **username_1**: Haha, I said it depends on the context. You can use it on someone who is expected to be good at Chinese  
> **username_9**: Context is a key here. I agree that in some context that it could imply the foreigner speak Chinese well, but we can't assume that's the only context the sentence is being used. There could be some context you can make that sentence sarcastical. So, with the dialogue standing alone, we can't say which situation it is. We should take it literally in this case, unless OP can provide more context for analysis. @username_8 Shen 申思维  

---

### Answer by username_10 on 2021-06-22. Score: 1

哪里=where. Period.

Suggestion out of topic:

When someone told you "你的中文太好了", you answered:

> 谢谢

My suggestion is to answer "哪里哪里" (not so out of topic, after all :-)

Edit:

请看看以下视频:  
1。[中国人自谦爱说“哪里哪里”，外国人就没法理解了](http://m.baidu.com/video/page?pd=video_page&nid=9440358596278494616&sign=9963610072939971038&word=%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C&oword=%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C&atn=index&frsrcid=4185&ext=%7B%22jsy%22%3A1%7D&top=%7B%22sfhs%22%3A1%2C%22_hold%22%3A2%7D&next_nid=12122603815815584171&sl=4&fr0=A&fr1=A&lid=10123768002958844301&referlid=10123768002958844301&ms=1&frorder=3&ssid=0&from=844b&uid=0&pu=usm@5,sz@320_1001,ta@iphone_2_10.0_24_90.0&bd_page_type=1&baiduid=463944A79A0C8A3759F8CEECC772DB60&tj=vid_hor_3_0_10_l1&_t=1624384151319)  
2。[请注意他说："轮到一个中国人说'你讲得很好'，我一定说'哪里哪里'。'你讲得很好'，'谢谢你的夸奖'，他嘴巴不讲，心里就开始反感了"](http://m.baidu.com/video/page?pd=video_page&nid=15573549132078162383&sign=18180732268449795590&word=%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E7%A7%B0%E8%B5%9E%E4%BD%A0%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88%E5%9B%9E%E7%AD%94&oword=%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E7%A7%B0%E8%B5%9E%E4%BD%A0%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88%E5%9B%9E%E7%AD%94&atn=index&frsrcid=4185&ext=%7B%22jsy%22%3A1%7D&top=%7B%22sfhs%22%3A1%2C%22_hold%22%3A2%7D&sl=4&fr0=A&fr1=A&lid=10095243239536190187&referlid=10095243239536190187&ms=1&frorder=3&ssid=0&from=844b&uid=0&pu=usm@8,sz@320_1001,ta@iphone_2_10.0_24_90.0&bd_page_type=1&baiduid=463944A79A0C8A3759F8CEECC772DB60&tj=vid_fourfold_3_0_10_l1&_t=1624386643246&bk=1)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks but 哪里哪里 sounds very 老外 to me。I used it for a while but feel I have now graduated past 哪里哪里 :)  
> **username_10**: You are to be commended for trying not to sound as 老外 when speaking Chinese. Anyway, it would be interesting to know what made you think that 哪里哪里 sounds very 老外.  
> **username_11**: @username_0 I am also a little curious about the answer to giussepe's question. I did not mean to challenge your impression; I am just literally curious about how you got that impression:D  
> **username_0**: @username_11   I lived in China for 8 years and never once heard a Chinese person say 哪里哪里 but it is one of the phrases that students of Chinese seem to love saying. I could be wrong but that is just my own personal experience.  
> **username_11**: @username_0 Now I see where you are coming from. From my experience both as a party of a conversation and an observer of a conversation, 哪里哪里 is not necessary the only major response in similar scenarios, but certainly one of them. Other responses may include 你太客气了，谢谢，过奖了，您真会说话，不敢当，勉强说得过去而已，不算好，凑活吧, etc., depending on the specific circumstances and what you are praised for; 哪里哪里 is still probably the most generic one. As for your experience, it *could* be because the conversation became slightly more serious/formal with your presence & 哪里哪里 is in a slightly joking tone. Just my guess:D  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2020-07-11. Score: 0

The question `你的中文是在哪里学的` is not quite correct.

I think the correct question should be: `在外国人里,你的中文真好,是怎么学的?`

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Saying 'not quite clear'  may be better than saying  'not quite correct. ' The questioner might want to know in what location you learned Chinese or he might want to know from what sources you learned English.  
> **username_0**: I don't agree with that at all. So the next time a Chinese person asks me 你的中文是在哪里学的 I should reply: Sorry but your question is wrong, the correct question you should be asking is 在外国人里，你的中文真好，是怎么学的. That's crazy :) Chinese people never ask that second question and often ask the first. There is nothing wrong with the question. It is the interpretations of the question that are being discussed here.  
> **username_8**: OK,  no offensive. Sure you can disagree with me. You are not Chinese, I am. And there's a very interesting thing : We Chinese even don't know where the foreigners could study Chinese if you are not in Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou/Shenzhen.  And another fact: people will not ask a question very acquisitely/pricesly unless he is a software manager like I am.  So next time when you are asked "你的中文是在哪里学的?" , you can try to ask him: "谢谢, 你是想知道我在哪里学的,还是知道我怎么学的?"  
> **username_12**: That's getting way too personal.  Also, where's the answer to the question *Does 「你的中文是在哪里学的？」 mean “How did you study Chinese?” or “Where did you study Chinese?”*  
> **username_13**: @username_0 You are correct, and I guess username_8 may be a heavy dialect user, and in his dialect  “你的中文是在哪里学的” can be used to ask **how**, so username_8 gives out an example about asking **how**. However, “你的中文是在哪里学的”  is absolutely correct in Chinese.  

---

