那会儿

• Pinyin: nà huìr
• Hanzi breakdown: 那 (nà) — that; 会 (huì) — moment; 儿 (r) — diminutive suffix (erhua)

Meaning

At that time; back then. An informal way to refer to a specific past moment.

A colloquial time expression common in northern Mandarin. More casual than 那时候. Often used when recalling past experiences or telling stories. The 儿 at the end reflects the Beijing-influenced erhua pronunciation.

Examples

1. 那会儿我还在上小学。 Back then I was still in primary school.
2. 那会儿的天气比现在冷多了。 The weather was much colder at that time than now.
3. 你那会儿在做什么？ What were you doing at that time?

Usage Guide

Context: storytelling, reminiscence, conversation

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 那会儿我们都还年轻。(Back then we were all still young.)
• 你那会儿怎么不说？(Why didn't you say so at the time?)

Don't Say

• 不要在正式写作中用'那会儿' (Don't use 那会儿 in formal writing — use 那时 or 当时 instead)

Origin & History

Colloquial contraction of 那一会儿, meaning 'that moment/time'. The 会儿 is a time-referencing suffix common in northern Chinese dialects, with the 儿 being the characteristic Beijing erhua sound.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal