HSK 2
人称代词：别人、大家、它、它们、咱、咱们、自己
rén chēng dài cí ： bié rén 、 dà jiā 、 tā 、 tā men 、 zán 、 zán men 、 zì jǐ
Personal pronouns: 别人, 大家, 它, 它们, 咱, 咱们, 自己
Explanation
This is a group of pronouns (words used to stand in for people or things) referring to people and things that are commonly seen in Chinese.
别人 (biérén) = other people; 大家 (dàjiā) = everyone; 它 (tā) = it (used for animals or objects); 它们 (tāmen) = they (plural of 它); 咱 (zán) / 咱们 (zánmen) = we (including the listener); 自己 (zìjǐ) = oneself.
Use 别人 (biérén) when talking about people other than yourself; 大家 (dàjiā) when referring to a whole group; 它 (tā) / 它们 (tāmen) for objects or animals (not for people); 咱 (zán) / 咱们 (zánmen) in intimate colloquial speech (especially in the Beijing area) to invite someone along, including the listener; 自己 (zìjǐ) to emphasize the self, reflecting back on the subject (the doer, placed at the start of the sentence).
咱们 (zánmen) ALWAYS includes the listener (you and I), whereas 我们 (wǒmen) may or may not include the listener; 它 (tā) refers only to objects/animals, while 他 (tā, male) and 她 (tā, female) are the ones used for people.
Vietnamese learners often use 他 (tā) / 她 (tā) for animals or objects — this is wrong, you must use 它 (tā); and they often forget that 自己 (zìjǐ) must accompany or restate the subject (e.g. 我自己 (wǒ zìjǐ) = I myself), rather than standing alone in place of the subject.
Examples
I want to hear other people's opinions.
Let's all sing together.
That backpack is really nice-looking; I like its color.
My family has cats and dogs; they are all my friends.
Let's go together.
Tomorrow let's go to the zoo, how about it?
You must believe in yourself.
Do your own things yourself.
Practice
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Learn “人称代词：别人、大家、它、它们、咱、咱们、自己” effectively
The grammar point “人称代词：别人、大家、它、它们、咱、咱们、自己” (Personal pronouns: 别人, 大家, 它, 它们, 咱, 咱们, 自己) is one of the key structures at HSK 2. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
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