Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 他 | tā | |
| 伊 | yī | feminine, literary, masculine |
| 怹 | tān | dialectal, feminine, honorific, masculine |
The primary way to say "he" is with the pronoun 他. In written Chinese, it is important to distinguish between 他 (he), 她 (she) and 它 (it), even though they are all pronounced the same way in speech.
Which one should you use?
While 他 is the standard Mandarin form for "he", the form 伊 is used in literary or classical contexts to mean "he", "she" or "it". The form 怹 is a dialectal form that can be used for both masculine and feminine subjects and carries an honorific tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
他 is the standard form used in everyday communication. 伊 is a literary form and is not used in everyday spoken Mandarin. 怹 is used in specific dialects and is considered an honorific form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
怹 is a dialectal form.
How do you pronounce it?
tā
What mistakes should you avoid?
When speaking, remember that the distinction between "he" (他), "she" (她) and "it" (它) is lost because they are all pronounced tā.
Did you know?
- The word 伊 is a linguistic relative of the Burmese word ဤ, which means 'this'.
Examples in context
- 他有很多钱。He has a lot of money.This sentence is useful for showing the use of 他 regarding possession.Tatoeba #480581 by biglion, translation #480576 by CK
- 他年近四十。He is near forty.This sentence is useful for showing the use of 他 regarding age.Tatoeba #707500 by Yashanti, translation #707501 by CH
- 他坐在地上。He was sitting on the floor.This sentence is useful for showing the use of 他 regarding location/posture.Tatoeba #799117 by GlossaMatik, translation #299626 by CK
- 他是我的哥哥。He is my older brother.
- 请问，你是他的老师吗？Excuse me, are you his teacher?
- 5918 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are looking for their friend in a cafe.
- 伟 Wei他在哪里？Tā zài nǎlǐ?Where is he?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他就在那边。Tā jiù zài nàbiān.He is right over there.
- 伟 Wei他在看书吗？Tā zài kànshū ma?Is he reading a book?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，他在看书。Shì de, tā zài kànshū.Yes, he is reading.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “he” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 他, 伊, 怹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
