那边 (nà biān) literally combines 那 (nà), meaning 'that', and 边 (biān), meaning 'side' or 'edge'. Together, it means 'that side' or 'over there'—referring to a location away from both the speaker and listener, but not as distant as 那儿 (nàr) or 那里 (nàlǐ). It’s commonly used to point out places, objects, or people at a visible but non-immediate distance.

This word functions flexibly: as a noun (e.g., 去那边 — 'go over there'), or as an adverb modifying verbs of motion or direction (e.g., 看那边 — 'look over there'). It’s neutral in register—appropriate for casual speech, directions, instructions, or descriptive narration—and often appears with directional verbs like 走、去、看、在, or with prepositions like 在 or 往.