你
/ni²¹⁴/Hokkien
The English word 'you' is translated into Chinese as 你. Wiktionary also lists ни (ni) and 汝 (lí, lú).
Meaning: subject pronoun: the person being addressed (pron)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ни | ni | Dungan | |
| 你 | /ni²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nʲi⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) /li¹¹/ (Mandarin, Nanjing, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) /nei̯¹³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /nɐi¹³/ (Cantonese, Dongguan, Sinological IPA, Guancheng) /ⁿdei³³/ (Cantonese, Taishanese, Taicheng, Sinological IPA) /ⁿdei²¹/ (Cantonese, Taishanese, Taicheng, Sinological IPA) /nei²¹/ (Sinological IPA, Yangjiang Yue, Jiangcheng) /n̩²¹³/ (Gan, Nanchang, Sinological IPA) /ŋi¹¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /n¹¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /ŋ̍¹¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /ni¹¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /ŋi¹¹/ (Hakka, Southern, Sixian, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /n¹¹/ (Hakka, Southern, Sixian, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /ŋi⁵⁵/ (Hakka, Hailu, Zhudong, Sinological IPA) /ŋi¹¹/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /n̩¹¹/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /ni⁴⁴/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³/ (Jin, Taiyuan, Sinological IPA, dated) /ni⁴²/ (Min Bei, Jian'ou, Sinological IPA) /nˡi³³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /li⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /li⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /li⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /li⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /lɯ³¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Zhao'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Hsinchu) /lɯ⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Zhao'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Hsinchu) /lɯ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Zhao'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Hsinchu) /lɨ⁵⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Zhao'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Hsinchu) /lɯ⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Zhao'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, Sanxia, Hsinchu) /lu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Taipei, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lu⁴⁴⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Taipei, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lu⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Taipei, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Magong) /nĩ⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /nĩ⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /nĩ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /lɯ⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /ni²⁴/ (Southern Pinghua, Nanning, Southern Pinghua, Tingzi, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Suzhou, Sinological IPA) /ni⁴⁴/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Suzhou, Sinological IPA) /ni²²³/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵¹/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA) /ni¹¹³/ (Wu, Northern, Sinological IPA, Shaoxing, Shaoxing) /ɦn̩²⁴²/ (Wu, Northern, Chongming, Sinological IPA) /ʔn̠ʲi⁵⁵/ (Wu, Northern, Chongming, Sinological IPA) /n̠ʲi⁴¹/ (Xiang, Changsha, Sinological IPA) /n̩⁴²/ (Xiang, Loudi, Sinological IPA) /n̠ʲi³³/ (Xiang, Sinological IPA, Hengyang) /ŋia⁴⁴/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien | |
| 汝 | lí, lú | /ɻu²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ɹu⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) /jyː¹³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /ⁿdei²¹/ (Cantonese, Taishanese, Taicheng, Sinological IPA) /ni²⁴/ (Hakka, Sixian, Miaoli, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /ŋi⁵⁵/ (Hakka, Hailu, Zhudong, Sinological IPA) /ni⁴⁴/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /ny²¹/ (Min Bei, Jian'ou, Sinological IPA) /nˡy³³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /ty⁴⁵³/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Putian) /ty³³²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Xianyou) /tyʔ³²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Putian, Xianyou) /t͡sy⁴⁵³/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Putian) /t͡sy³³²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Xianyou) /lu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Sinological IPA) /lɯ⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Sinological IPA) /d͡zi⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA) /nĩ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA) /zu⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /d͡zɯ⁵²/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /d͡zu⁵²/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /ni³¹/ (Leizhou, Sinological IPA) /zɹ̩²³/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Sinological IPA) /lu²³/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Sinological IPA) /y⁴¹/ (Xiang, Changsha, Sinological IPA) /li⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /li⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /li⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /li⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu) /lɯ³¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Hui'an, Nan'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Yongchun) /lɯ⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Hui'an, Nan'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Yongchun) /lɯ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Hui'an, Nan'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Yongchun, Yongchun) /lɯ⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Hui'an, Nan'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Yongchun) /lɨ⁵⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Hui'an, Nan'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Yongchun) /lɯ⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Hui'an, Nan'an, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Yongchun) /lu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Singapore, Penang, Medan, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lu⁴⁴⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Singapore, Penang, Medan, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lu⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Singapore, Penang, Medan, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lɯ⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /lu⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /d͡zɯ⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /d͡zu⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 您 | nín | /nin³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nei̯¹³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /ⁿdei²¹/ (Cantonese, Taishanese, Taicheng, Sinological IPA) /ni⁴⁴/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /nˡiŋ⁵³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /lin⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) /lɯ⁵²/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /n̠ʲin²³/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Sinological IPA) |
formal |
The term 你 is the most common and standard way to say 'you' in Mandarin Chinese, used for friends, family or people of same/lower status. If you are addressing a group of people informally, you use the plural form 你们. The construction 你这个…… is used to single out someone, often in a derogatory or accusatory way, similar to 'you [adjective] person'.
Which one should you use?
While 你 is the standard, informal way to address an individual, 您 is the polite form used to show respect. For groups, you use 你们 instead of the singular forms.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use 你 for friends, family or people of same/lower status. To address someone with great respect, such as elders, strangers, teachers, customers or higher authorities, use the formal 您.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, the term lí (你) is frequently used to address 'you'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the singular 你 into the plural 'you all', add the suffix 们 to create 你们.
How do you pronounce it?
/ni²¹⁴/
Did you know?
- The polite form of 'you', 您, literally contains the character for 'heart' (心), suggesting you are addressing someone from the heart.
- The formal 您 may have originated as a contraction of the phrase 你老, which means 'you old one' or 'you elder'.
- In Cantonese and Hakka, the character 您 is not treated as a separate polite word and is simply read as 你.
Examples in context
- 您住在哪里？Where do you live?This sentence is useful for asking where someone lives using the formal 您.Tatoeba #393584 by GlossaMatik, translation #370708 by saeb
- 你记日记吗？Do you keep a diary?This sentence is useful for asking if someone keeps a diary using the informal 你.Tatoeba #396625 by GlossaMatik, translation #15872 by CK
- 您可以走了。You may go.This sentence is useful for telling someone they may go using the formal 您.Tatoeba #396894 by GlossaMatik, translation #518553 by CK
- 10969 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are meeting for lunch.
- 伟 Wei你准备好出门了吗？Nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo chūmén le ma?Are you ready to go out?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我马上就准备好了。Wǒ mǎshàng jiù zhǔnbèi hǎo le.I'll be ready in a moment.
- 伟 Wei你想吃什么？Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?What do you want to eat?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想吃面条。Wǒ xiǎng chī miàntiáo.I want to eat noodles.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries 你, 汝, 您, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 你, 您, 汝, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
