<p>For mass nouns referring to a large quantity or unspecified amount of a substance, you would not normally use determiners 这/那. Some examples:</p>
<ul>
<li>水涨船高 (&quot;the rising water lifts the boat&quot;)</li>
<li>大量的水 (&quot;a large amount of water&quot;)</li>
<li>河里的水 (&quot;the water in the river&quot;)</li>
</ul>
<p>Some exceptions are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>这些/那些 + mass noun - to refer to a specific group or quantity: 这些水 (&quot;these waters&quot;, specific bodies of water)</p>
</li>
<li><p>这/那 + noun phrase - if the mass noun is part of a noun phrase: 这条河的水 (&quot;the water of this river&quot;)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>So in general, avoid 这/那 with standalone mass nouns when referring to a large quantity or unspecified amount.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-10T07:11:00.680Z
2023-03-10T07:11:00.680Z
Paul Lake
<p>It depends on the situation you are dealing with.</p>
<p>When you are talking to someone and the stream/river is in front of you and him/her, you use 這.e.g 這條河很清澈。</p>
<p>When you describe a river to someone you are speaking, you use 那.
e.g. 那條河水很深。</p>
<p>Update:
Common characters used before mass nouns of water:條, 片, 池, 場
e.g. 這條河, 這片大海, 這池死水, 這場大雨</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-28T16:52:41.170Z
My question wasn’t about 這 or 那, but about if one would use a measure word for this water or that water, or if the determiner would just go before the noun.
Tosaku
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-27T08:26:19.967Z
2023-03-04T06:58:07.683Z
2023-03-04T06:58:07.683Z
mhcpan
<blockquote>
<p>How would one use determiners（這/那）with mass nouns like 水</p>
</blockquote>
<p>use appropriate classifiers and adverbs as well</p>
<p>example:</p>
<p>這水 = this water (can be as little as a bottle of it)</p>
<p>這場大水 = this great flood</p>
<p>這片水域 = this body of water</p>
<p>這石 = this stone (can be as small as pea-size)</p>
<p>這巨石 = this huge boulder</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-27T00:41:14.043Z
2023-02-27T00:41:14.043Z
Tang Ho
<p>How would one use determiners（這/那）with mass nouns like 水?</p>
<p>I don't mean like phrases like 這杯水, where it's talking about a glass of water, but more like a large body of water, steam, or river.</p>

<measure-word>
Using determiners with mass nouns
# Using determiners with mass nouns

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-26)

How would one use determiners（這/那）with mass nouns like 水?

I don't mean like phrases like 這杯水, where it's talking about a glass of water, but more like a large body of water, steam, or river.

**Tags:** measure-word


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-03-10. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

For mass nouns referring to a large quantity or unspecified amount of a substance, you would not normally use determiners 这/那. Some examples:

* 水涨船高 ("the rising water lifts the boat")
* 大量的水 ("a large amount of water")
* 河里的水 ("the water in the river")

Some exceptions are:

* 这些/那些 + mass noun - to refer to a specific group or quantity: 这些水 ("these waters", specific bodies of water)
* 这/那 + noun phrase - if the mass noun is part of a noun phrase: 这条河的水 ("the water of this river")

So in general, avoid 这/那 with standalone mass nouns when referring to a large quantity or unspecified amount.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-02-27. Score: 1

It depends on the situation you are dealing with.

When you are talking to someone and the stream/river is in front of you and him/her, you use 這.e.g 這條河很清澈。

When you describe a river to someone you are speaking, you use 那.
e.g. 那條河水很深。

Update:
Common characters used before mass nouns of water:條, 片, 池, 場
e.g. 這條河, 這片大海, 這池死水, 這場大雨

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: My question wasn’t about 這 or 那, but about if one would use a measure word for this water or that water, or if the determiner would just go before the noun.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-02-27. Score: 0

> How would one use determiners（這/那）with mass nouns like 水

use appropriate classifiers and adverbs as well

example:

這水 = this water (can be as little as a bottle of it)

這場大水 = this great flood

這片水域 = this body of water

這石 = this stone (can be as small as pea-size)

這巨石 = this huge boulder


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