How to Say ‘Where did you buy it?’ in Traditional Chinese
是在哪裡買的？
shì zài nǎ lǐ mǎi de
[shir zài nǎlǐ mǎi de]
💬 Usage Tip: Wrapping a detail between 是 and 的 puts the spotlight on where, when, or how something already happened: 是什麼時候買的？ "when did you buy it?" In casual speech the 是 is often dropped.
Phrase Breakdown
是在哪裡
shì zài nǎ lǐ
was it at where
The 是…的 pattern stresses details of a past action. 在哪裡 means 'where'.
你是在哪裡出生的？
Where were you born?
Words in this phrase
是
shì
[shir]
to be; am/is/are
是 is the verb 'to be' used for identity, emphasis, or agreement.
我也是剛畢業的新鮮人。
I am also a recent graduate.
在
zài
[zài]
at, in
A preposition used to denote location or time.
我在學校。
I am at school.
哪裡
nǎ lǐ
[nǎlǐ]
where
A question word asking about location.
你住在哪裡？
Where do you live?
買的？
mǎi de
bought (it)?
買 means 'to buy'. 的 closes the 是…的 pattern.
這是你買的？
Did you buy this?
Words in this phrase
買
mǎi
[mǎi]
to buy
To pay money for something.
我想買便當。
I want to buy a lunchbox.
的
de
[de]
(nominalizing particle)
At the end of 是…的, it turns a description into a noun-like phrase: 'a red one'.
這本書是新的。
This book is new.
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