他 meaning and stroke order
(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2])
How to write 他, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 他
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his
- (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2])
How 他 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An additional, "also" 也 person 亻.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 他
他 (tā) puts a person 亻 next to 也 (yě, also). Think of it as "also a person": someone else besides you and me, so he or another person.
他 is the everyday word for he or him, and it also means his when followed by 的 or a family word. In bound forms it means other, as in 其他 (qítā) and 他人 (tārén). Example: 他是我的朋友。(Tā shì wǒ de péngyou.) He is my friend.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 他 (he) with 她 (she, with 女) and 它 (it, with 宀). All three are pronounced tā, so the difference only shows in writing. Also be careful not to write 也 (yě) alone or confuse 他 with 地 (de/dì), which has 土 on the left instead of 亻.
Common words with 他
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他们 | tāmen | they; them | HSK 1 |
| 其他 | qítā | other; (sth or sb) else | HSK 2 |
| 他人 | tārén | another person; sb else; other people | HSK 7-9 |
| 吉他 | jítā | (loanword) guitar | HSK 7-9 |
| 他妈的 | tāmāde | (taboo curse) damn it!; fucking | |
| 他杀 | tāshā | homicide (law) | |
| 他用 | tāyòng | other use; other purpose | |
| 维他命 | wéitāmìng | (loanword) vitamin | |
| 吉他手 | jítāshǒu | guitarist | |
| 别无他法 | biéwútāfǎ | there is no alternative | |
| 安非他命 | ānfēitāmìng | amphetamine (medical) (loanword) |
他 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 他
How many strokes are in 他?
他 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 他 mean?
他 (tā) means (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2]). A common word with it is 他们 (tāmen), meaning "they; them".
How do you pronounce 他?
他 is pronounced tā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 他?
The radical of 他 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 他 under this radical.
Is 他 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 他 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do you say they in Chinese using 他?
Add 们 to get 他们 (tāmen), meaning they or them. 他们 is used for all-male groups and also for mixed groups of men and women. 她们 (tāmen) is used only when everyone is female.
Why does 他 appear in words like 吉他 and 维他命?
In these loanwords 他 is used only for its sound, tā. 吉他 (jítā) imitates guitar and 维他命 (wéitāmìng) imitates vitamin. The meaning he has nothing to do with these words.