们 meaning and stroke order
Plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
How to write 们, 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 们
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
How 们 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. People.
亻 gives the meaning and 门 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 们
The person radical 亻 stands next to a door 门 (mén), which also gives the sound. Picture a group of people coming through a door together, so 们 marks more than one person.
们 is pronounced in the neutral tone (men) and attaches to pronouns and nouns for people to make them plural, as in 我们 (wǒmen) and 朋友们 (péngyoumen). Example: 同学们好。(Tóngxuémen hǎo.) Hello, classmates.
Common mistake: Learners often add 们 after a number, but 三个学生们 is wrong. Say 三个学生 (sān gè xuésheng) instead, because the number already shows the plural. Also, do not read it with the second tone of 门 (mén). In these words it is toneless.
Common words with 们
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我们 | wǒmen | we; us; ourselves | HSK 1 |
| 他们 | tāmen | they; them | HSK 1 |
| 你们 | nǐmen | you (plural) | HSK 1 |
| 她们 | tāmen | they; them (females) | HSK 1 |
| 朋友们 | péngyoumen | HSK 1 | |
| 它们 | tāmen | they; them | HSK 2 |
| 人们 | rénmen | people | HSK 2 |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s) spoken to); (dialect) I or me | HSK 2 |
| 哥们 | gēmen | (coll.) dude; buddy; bro | |
| 哥们儿 | gēmenr | erhua form of 哥們|哥们[ge1 men5] | |
| 弟兄们 | dìxiōngmen | brothers; comrades | |
| 爷们 | yémen | menfolk (collective term for men of different generations); husbands and their fathers etc | |
| 俺们 | ǎnmen | (dialect) we; us; our | |
| 爷们儿 | yémenr | erhua variant of 爺們|爷们[ye2 men5] |
们 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 们
How many strokes are in 们?
们 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 们 mean?
们 (men) means plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals. A common word with it is 我们 (wǒmen), meaning "we; us; ourselves".
How do you pronounce 们?
们 is pronounced men, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 们?
The radical of 们 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 们 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 们?
The traditional form of 们 is 們. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 们 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 们 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 们 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.
Can I add 们 to any noun to make it plural?
No. 们 is mainly used with pronouns and nouns for people, like 老师们 (lǎoshīmen). You would not say 书们 for books. Most Chinese nouns show plural from context, not from a suffix.
What is the difference between 我们 and 咱们?
咱们 (zánmen) always includes the listener, while 我们 (wǒmen) may or may not include them. 咱们 is more common in northern and spoken Chinese.