I, you, he, she: personal pronouns

A pronoun is a short word that stands for a person or thing: I, you, she, it, we, they. Chinese pronouns are simple: there are few of them, and they never change form.

The pronouns

他, 她 and 它 all sound the same: tā. Only the writing shows the difference. In speech, context tells you who is meant.

Use 您 (nín) to be polite: to older people, teachers, customers, people you don't know in a formal setting. Use 你 (nǐ) with friends, family, children and people your age.

The plural: add 们

Add 们 (men, neutral tone) to make the plural.

For a mixed group of men and women, use 他们. 您 normally has no plural: for a group, say 你们. (Traditional: 們, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.)

• 她们是老师。(Tāmen shì lǎoshī.)They are teachers.
• 我们都很好。(Wǒmen dōu hěn hǎo.)We are all well.
• 你们好吗？(Nǐmen hǎo ma?)How are you all?

们 is only for people (and, with 它们, things in a group). Don't add it after a number: 三个朋友 (sān gè péngyou) is "three friends", never 三个朋友们.

"I" and "me" are the same word

English changes I to me, he to him, we to us. Chinese doesn't. The position in the sentence tells you who does what: the doer comes first, then the verb, then the person or thing it is done to.

• 我是学生。(Wǒ shì xuésheng.)I'm a student.
• 他认识我。(Tā rènshi wǒ.)He knows me.
• 我认识他。(Wǒ rènshi tā.)I know him.
• 妈妈爱我们。(Māma ài wǒmen.)Mum loves us.
• 我喜欢它。(Wǒ xǐhuan tā.)I like it.

The verb doesn't change either: 我是, 你是, 他们是, all with the same 是 (see 是: to be (with nouns)).

• 您是王老师吗？(Nín shì Wáng lǎoshī ma?)Are you Teacher Wang?

For "my", "your", "his", Chinese adds 的 (de): 我的 (wǒ de) is "my, mine". That is in 的: my, your, the teacher's.

Common mistakes

• 他认识我们们。 Add 们 only once: 我们.
• 我有三个朋友们。 No 们 after a number: 我有三个朋友。
• 她们是我爸爸和哥哥。 她们 is only for women; for men or a mixed group, use 他们.
• 你们好 to one older person: to one person, say 您好 (polite) or 你好.
• Looking for a special word for "me" or "him": there isn't one. 我 is both "I" and "me".