Those is a demonstrative pronoun used to refer to plural nouns that are distant from the speaker—either physically, temporally, or contextually. It combines the demonstrative 那 (nà), meaning 'that', with the plural marker 些 (xiē), meaning 'some' or 'a few'. Together, 那些 functions as a unified determiner meaning 'those' and always modifies a following noun (e.g., 那些猫, those cats). Unlike English, it cannot stand alone as a subject without a noun or context—omitting the noun usually requires a preceding clause or shared understanding.

This term is neutral in register and commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese. It contrasts with 这些 (zhè xiē, 'these') for nearby items and 那个 (nà ge, 'that one') for singular distant items. While 那些 emphasizes distance and plurality, it carries no inherent emotional tone—it’s factual and descriptive, often used when pointing out or distinguishing specific items among others.