𪜶
𪜶
In Chinese, the phrase "they" can be expressed in several ways. The default form is 𪜶. Wiktionary also lists 他們 / 他们 (tāmen) and 她們 / 她们 (tāmen).
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 𪜶 | 𪜶 | ||
| 他們 / 他们 | tāmen | ||
| 她們 / 她们 | tāmen | ||
| 𪜶 | in | /in⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Nan'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Kinmen, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu, Yongchun, Yongchun) /in¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Nan'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Kinmen, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
| 它們 / 它们 | tāmen | non human |
The term refers to the third-person plural pronoun.
Which one should you use?
Use 他們 when referring to a group of men or a mixed-gender group, use 她們 specifically when the entire group consists only of females and use 它們 when referring to animals, objects or other non-human entities.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, the forms таму and ана are used. In Hokkien, the form 𪜶 is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix 們 is added to singular pronouns to make them plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien form 𪜶 is pronounced /yøŋ⁵⁴⁴/ (romanization: in).
Did you know?
- The female plural pronoun 她們 is a relatively modern addition to the language, as the character 她 was created specifically to mirror the English distinction between 'he' and 'she'.
- The Hokkien pronoun 𪜶 is a shortened version of the phrase 伊儂, which literally translates to 'that person' and 'people'.
- While the suffix 們 creates a plural, Chinese speakers often omit it if the plural nature of 'they' is already clear from the context of the sentence.
Examples in context
- 他们是我的朋友。They are my friends.
- 你们应该去问问他们。You should go and ask them.
- 他们去打篮球了。They went to play basketball.
- 她们正在商量晚饭吃什么。They are discussing what to have for dinner.
- 昨天我和姐们一起逛街，她们买了很多漂亮的衣服。Yesterday, I went shopping with my girlfriends, and they bought many beautiful clothes.
Example conversation
Junjie and Zihan are talking about some classmates.
- 俊杰 Junjie𪜶到著著了沒？in kàu-tio̍h-liáu bē?Have they arrived yet?
- 梓涵 Zihan猶未，我想𪜶還佇路頂。iáu-uē, guá siáng in uán tī lōo-téng.Not yet, I think they are still on the way.
- 俊杰 Junjie𪜶會使遲到。in ē-sái chí-tò.They might be late.
- 梓涵 Zihan沒關係，我們等𪜶。bô kuan-kè, guán tán in.It's okay, we will wait for them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations and entries 𪜶, 𪜶, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 𪜶, CC BY-SA 4.0.
