HSK 4
人称代词:人家
rén chēng dài cí : rén jiā
Personal pronoun: 人家
Explanation
人家 (rénjiā) is a very flexible personal pronoun (a word used to address or refer to people): it can refer to OTHER PEOPLE, or to the SPEAKER THEMSELVES in a coquettish, intimate tone.
人家 (rénjiā) + the rest of the sentence. The meaning shifts with context: (1) referring to others = "people, he/she"; (2) referring to oneself = "I/me" in a coquettish way (usually used by women and children).
use it when speaking about another person/group in a vivid way (often implying comparison or praise, as in 你看人家经常锻炼 "look how others exercise regularly"); or when talking about oneself with a pouting, sulking nuance (人家也是为你好啊 "I'm doing this for your own good too").
人家 (rénjiā, "people") differs from 别人 (biérén, "other people") in that 人家 is rich in emotional coloring and can even refer to oneself, whereas 别人 simply means "other people" in a neutral way.
Vietnamese learners often forget that 人家 can refer to the speaker themselves, so they rigidly translate it as "people/others" in every case; you must read the context to know who is being referred to. Also do not confuse 人家 with 家人 (jiārén, "family members"), even though the two characters are simply reversed.
Examples
I'm doing this for your own good too, you know.
He's in trouble right now; we ought to help him.
Look how others exercise regularly, how good their health is.
Practice
Test your understanding with a quick quiz
Learn “人称代词:人家” effectively
The grammar point “人称代词:人家” (Personal pronoun: 人家) is one of the key structures at HSK 4. 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.
You can also view the full “” lesson to understand the related grammar and vocabulary more deeply.