How to Use the Chinese Third Person Pronouns342

In English, we use the third person pronouns "he," "she," and "it" to refer to people or things that are not the speaker or the listener. In Chinese, there are also three third person pronouns: 他 (tā), 她 (tā), and 它 (tā). However, the way they are used is slightly different from English.

他 (tā)

他 (tā) is used to refer to a male person. It can be used in both singular and plural contexts. For example:
他叫王伟。 (Tā jiào Wáng Wěi.) - His name is Wang Wei.
他们都是我的朋友。 (Tāmen dōu shì wǒ de péngyou.) - They are all my friends.

她 (tā)

她 (tā) is used to refer to a female person. It can also be used in both singular and plural contexts. For example:
她叫李娜。 (Tā jiào Lǐ Nà.) - Her name is Li Na.
她们都是我的同学。 (Tāmen dōu shì wǒ de tóngxué.) - They are all my classmates.

它 (tā)

它 (tā) is used to refer to a non-human thing. It can also be used in both singular and plural contexts. For example:
它是一本书。 (Tā shì yī běn shū.) - It is a book.
它们都是动物。 (Tāmen dōu shì dòngwù.) - They are all animals.

Special Cases

There are a few special cases to be aware of when using third person pronouns in Chinese.
When referring to a person's name, you must use the pronoun 他 or 她, even if the person is non-human. For example:

小明他很聪明。 (Xiǎomíng tā hěn cōngmíng.) - Xiaoming is very smart.
小红她很漂亮。 (Xiǎohóng tā hěn piàoliang.) - Xiaohong is very beautiful.

When referring to a group of people or things, you can use the pronoun 他们 or 它们, even if the group contains both male and female members. For example:

他们都是我的朋友。 (Tāmen dōu shì wǒ de péngyou.) - They are all my friends.
它们都是动物。 (Tāmen dōu shì dòngwù.) - They are all animals.

Conclusion

Using third person pronouns in Chinese is relatively straightforward. Just remember the following rules:
Use 他 (tā) to refer to a male person.
Use 她 (tā) to refer to a female person.
Use 它 (tā) to refer to a non-human thing.
When referring to a person's name, use the pronoun 他 or 她, even if the person is non-human.
When referring to a group of people or things, use the pronoun 他们 or 它们, even if the group contains both male and female members.

2025-02-24

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