哪儿 / 哪里【nǎr / nǎlǐ】

nǎr哪儿 and nǎ lǐ哪里 both ask "where", and they sit where the place would sit. The answer goes into the same slot.

哪儿 is the northern, more colloquial form; 哪里 is the southern one and the usual choice in writing.

The answers pair the same way: zhèr这儿 and nàr那儿 for "here" and "there", zhè lǐ这里 and nà li那里 alongside them.

Asking where an action happens

在 + 哪儿 goes in front of the verb, not after it. English puts "where" at the start and the place at the end; neither position carries over.

• × 你工作在哪儿？ → 你在哪儿工作？

A few verbs, 住 among them, also take 在 after the verb, and the answer keeps that slot.

哪儿 as "anywhere" and "nowhere"

With Dū都 or Yě也 it stops asking: 哪儿都去过 means "has been everywhere", 哪儿都不去 means "isn't going anywhere".