Pronouns (I, You, He, She) in Chinese 代词
dàicí
Pronouns in Chinese is 代词 (dài cí).
Also searched for as: I you he she, personal pronouns, we they, me.
Who are we talking about? 12 essential pronouns words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Chinese pronouns are pleasingly regular: add 们 (men) to make a plural, so 我 (wǒ) becomes 我们 (wǒ men). This list covers I, you, he, she and it, the respectful 您 (nín), the inclusive 咱们 (zán men) and handy words like 大家 (dà jiā), 'everyone'. Pronouns don't change form for subject or object either, so 我 means both 'I' and 'me', which makes sentences quick to build.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 您 | nín | you (polite) |
| 他 | tā | he; him |
| 她 | tā | she; her |
| 它 | tā | it |
| 我们 | wǒ men | we; us |
| 你们 | nǐ men | you (plural) |
| 他们 | tā men | they; them |
| 她们 | tā men | they (female) |
| 咱们 | zán men | we (including you) |
| 大家 | dà jiā | everyone |
| 别人 | bié ren | other people |
Usage tips
- 他 (tā), 她 (tā) and 它 (tā) sound identical; the difference only shows in writing, so in speech you rely on context.
- 咱们 (zán men) always includes the person you're talking to and is especially common in northern China; 我们 (wǒ men) can include or exclude them.
- To address a group politely, say 各位 (gè wèi) or 大家 (dà jiā), as in 大家好 (dà jiā hǎo), 'hello everyone'; 您 (nín) is normally used for one person.
Common mistakes
- Adding 们 (men) to things or animals, as in 书们: 们 is for people, so just say 这些书 (zhè xiē shū), 'these books'.
- Adding 们 when there's a number, as in 三个朋友们: drop 们 and say 三个朋友 (sān ge péng you).
- Writing 她们 (tā men) for a mixed group: if the group includes any men, write 他们 (tā men).
Mini dialogue
- A大家好！咱们今天去哪儿吃饭？Dà jiā hǎo! Zán men jīn tiān qù nǎr chī fàn?Hi everyone! Where shall we eat today?
- B我们想去那家火锅店。你呢？Wǒ men xiǎng qù nà jiā huǒ guō diàn. Nǐ ne?We'd like to go to that hotpot place. How about you?
- A好啊。小王和小李呢？Hǎo a. Xiǎo Wáng hé Xiǎo Lǐ ne?Sounds good. What about Xiao Wang and Xiao Li?
- B他们已经在那儿了。Tā men yǐ jīng zài nàr le.They're already there.
Example sentences
- 你今天想去哪儿？Where do you want to go today?
- 您好，请问您找谁？Hello, who are you looking for?
- 他每天骑车上班。He cycles to work every day.
- 她是我们的中文老师。She's our Chinese teacher.
- 我的猫很胖，它爱睡觉。My cat is very fat; it loves sleeping.
- 我们周末去爬山吧。Let's go hiking at the weekend.
- 你们几点下课？What time do you finish class?
- 他们在操场上踢球。They're playing football on the playing field.
- 她们是好朋友。They're good friends.
- 咱们一起去吃饭吧！Let's go and eat together!
- 大家好，我叫马克。Hello everyone, my name is Mark.
- 不要随便拿别人的东西。Don't just take other people's things.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Pronouns speaking island has 8 everyday questions about pronouns to prepare your own answers to.