Pronouns
I, you, he and she, 们 for plurals, and the polite 您.
| Pronoun | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I, me |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 您 | nín | you, politely |
| 他 | tā | he, him |
| 她 | tā | she, her |
| 它 | tā | it |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we, us |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we, us, you included |
| 你们 | nǐmen | you, to more than one |
| 他们 | tāmen | they, them (men, or mixed) |
| 她们 | tāmen | they, them (women) |
| 它们 | tāmen | they, them (things, animals) |
他, 她 and 它 all sound the same, tā; only the writing tells them apart. 们 men makes pronouns plural, and nouns for people too (老师们 "teachers", 同学们 "classmates"), but not nouns for things.
- Wǒmen shì péngyou.We're friends.
- Tā shì wǒ jiějie.She's my older sister.
My, your: 的
A pronoun with 的 de is a possessive: 我的 "my, mine", 你的 "your, yours", 他们的 "their, theirs".
- Zhè shì wǒ de shū.This is my book.
- Zhè běn shū shì wǒ de.This book is mine.
Before family, home, school or country, 的 is usually left out: 我妈妈 "my mom", 我家 "my home", 我们学校 "our school".
- Wǒ māma shì lǎoshī.My mom is a teacher.
您, 咱们 and 大家
您 nín is "you" to an older person, a teacher or a customer. 咱们 zánmen, common in the north, is "we" including the person you speak to; 我们 may or may not include them. 大家 dàjiā is "everyone". 自己 zìjǐ is "oneself".
- Nín guìxìng?What's your surname?polite
- Zánmen zǒu ba.Let's go.
- Dàjiā hǎo!Hello, everyone!
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
How do you say "we"?
我们 (wǒmen).
How do 他, 她 and 它 sound different?
They don't: all three are tā.
Which "you" is polite, for a teacher or an older person?
您 (nín).
How do you say "my book"?
我的书 (wǒ de shū).
Why is it 我妈妈 rather than 我的妈妈?
的 is usually left out before family, home and school.
How is 咱们 different from 我们?
咱们 always includes the person you speak to.
How do you say "everyone", as in "Hello, everyone"?
大家 (dàjiā): 大家好.
How do you say "they" for a group of women?
她们 (tāmen).
How do you say "oneself", as in "I made it myself"?
自己 (zìjǐ).