他們 / 他们
tāmen
The English phrase "them" is translated into Chinese as 他們 / 他们 (tāmen). Wiktionary also lists 牠們 / 它们 (tāmen) and 她們 / 她们 (tāmen).
Meaning: third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb (pron)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 他們 / 他们 | tāmen | |
| 牠們 / 它们 | tāmen | |
| 她們 / 她们 | tāmen | feminine |
| 它們 / 它们 | tāmen | inanimate |
The word is a third-person plural pronoun used as the object of a verb or following a preposition.
Which one should you use?
While all forms are pronounced the same way, you must choose the specific form based on the gender or nature of the group you are referring to: * 他們 / 他们 is used for a group of males or a mixed-gender group of people. * 她們 / 她们 is used exclusively for a group consisting only of females. * 牠們 / 它们 is used when referring to a group of animals. * 它們 / 它们 is used when referring to a group of inanimate objects or things.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike in English, this Chinese pronoun does not change its form depending on whether it is the subject or the object of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
tāmen
Did you know?
- The female pronoun 她 was adopted into Chinese in the early 20th century, partly influenced by the English 'she'. Before this, the male version 他 was used for everyone regardless of gender.
- While the spoken word tāmen is the same for all genders, the written distinction between 他們 and 她們 is a modern invention. Classical Chinese did not distinguish gender in its third-person pronouns.
- In casual speech or texting, many Chinese speakers omit the plural marker 們 entirely. If the context makes it clear that there are multiple people, 他 can be used to mean 'them'.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “them” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
