Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns (人称代词) are pronouns which we use to refer to a person or object without naming them: he, her, their.
Singular Personal Pronouns
The pronoun 我 
translates as “I”. As soon as there is no declension in Chinese, it can also be translated as “me”.
translates as “I”. As soon as there is no declension in Chinese, it can also be translated as “me”.Examples
我是学生
I'm a student
wǒ shì xuéshēng
给我一个苹果
Give me one apple
gěi wǒ yí ge píngguǒ
你
Examples
你要走了
You need to go
nǐ yào zǒu le
你叫什么名字？
What's your name?
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi
The pronoun 您 is used to refer to a person in a formal way.
is used to refer to a person in a formal way.Examples
谢谢您
Thank you
xièxie nín
我帮助您
I'll help you
wǒ bāngzhù nín
Pay attention
The pronouns “he”, “she”, and “it” sound the same in Chinese — “tā” but are written differently.
他
Examples
他不是工程师
He's not an engineer
tā bú shì gōngchéngshī
我爱他
I love him
wǒ ài tā
她
Examples
她喝茶
She drinks tea
tā hē chá
给她钱
Give her money
gěi tā qián
它
Indicates inanimate objects or animals.
Indicates inanimate objects or animals.
Pay attention
它 is used much less frequently than other pronouns.
Examples
它动了！
It moves!
tā dòng le
她去年在美国买了它
She bought it last year in the USA
tā qùnián zài měiguó mǎi le tā
Plural Personal Pronouns
For making plural personal pronouns in Chinese, we need to put the suffix 们 after each singular pronoun:
我们
你们
after each singular pronoun:
我们
你们 Pay attention
The exception is 您, which does not have plural form.
他们 (for males)
她们 (for females)
它们 (for inanimate objects or animals)
(for males)
她们 (for females)
它们 (for inanimate objects or animals)
To say “they” for a mixed group of males and females, we say 他们.
Pay attention
We use 他们 even if the group of people consists of a hundred girls and only one man.
There is another word — 咱们 , which is also translated as “we”.
Let’s look at the difference between 我们 and 咱们:
咱们 can be used when the topic involves the speaker and the listener.
And 我们 can be used when the topic does not involve the listener.
Let’s compare:
, which is also translated as “we”.
Let’s look at the difference between 我们 and 咱们:
咱们 can be used when the topic involves the speaker and the listener.
And 我们 can be used when the topic does not involve the listener.
Let’s compare:Examples
这是我们的事儿，与你无关
It's our business (mine and someone else's)., iIt has nothing to do with you
zhè shì wǒmen de shìr, yǔ nǐ wúguān
这是咱们的事儿，与别人无关
It's our business (mine and yours)., iIt has nothing to do with others
zhè shì zánmen de shìr, yǔ biérén wúguān
Pay attention
In colloquial speech, the pronoun 咱们 is often shortened to 咱. 咱 is pronounced as zán or zá.
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