們 meaning and stroke order
Plural marker for pronouns and some nouns
How to write 們, stroke by stroke
10 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 們
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
How 們 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. People.
亻 gives the meaning and 門 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 們
們 combines the person radical 亻 (people) with 門 (mén, door), which gives the sound. Picture a crowd of people gathered at a door, so 們 turns one person into many.
們 (men) is a neutral-tone suffix added to pronouns and to nouns for people to make them plural. It appears in everyday words like 我們 (wǒmen, we) and 朋友們 (péngyoumen, friends). Example: 同學們好。(Tóngxuémen hǎo.) Hello, classmates.
Common mistake: Learners often add 們 after a number, as in 三個學生們, which is wrong. Once a number or a word like 很多 shows plurality, drop 們: 三個學生 (sān gè xuésheng). Also read 們 in the neutral tone, not as mén like 門.
Common words with 們
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我們 | wǒmen | we; us; ourselves | HSK 1 |
| 他們 | tāmen | they; them | HSK 1 |
| 你們 | nǐmen | you (plural) | HSK 1 |
| 她們 | tāmen | they; them (females) | HSK 1 |
| 朋友們 | péngyoumen | HSK 1 | |
| 它們 | tāmen | they; them | HSK 2 |
| 人們 | rénmen | people | HSK 2 |
| 咱們 | zánmen | we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s) spoken to); (dialect) I or me | HSK 2 |
| 哥們 | gēmen | (coll.) dude; buddy; bro | |
| 哥們兒 | gēmenr | erhua form of 哥們|哥们[ge1 men5] | |
| 弟兄們 | dìxiōngmen | brothers; comrades | |
| 爺們 | yémen | menfolk (collective term for men of different generations); husbands and their fathers etc | |
| 俺們 | ǎnmen | (dialect) we; us; our | |
| 爺們兒 | yémenr | erhua variant of 爺們|爷们[ye2 men5] |
Questions about 們
How many strokes are in 們?
們 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 們 mean?
們 (men) means plural marker for pronouns and some nouns. A common word with it is 我们 (wǒmen), meaning "we; us; ourselves".
How do you pronounce 們?
們 is pronounced men, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 們?
The radical of 們 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 們 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 們?
們 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 们, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I add 們 to nouns for things, like 書們?
Normally no. 們 is used with pronouns and nouns for people, such as 老師們 (lǎoshīmen). The pronoun 它們 (tāmen) is the main exception, and it covers animals and things.
What is the difference between 我們 and 咱們?
咱們 (zánmen) always includes the listener, meaning you and me together. 我們 (wǒmen) can include or exclude the listener, depending on context. 咱們 is more common in northern speech.