Meaning of 它们
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- they; them
How to use 它们
Use 它们 for groups of animals or objects, never for people. It works as both subject and object. Example: 我有两只猫，它们很可爱。(Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhī māo, tāmen hěn kě'ài.) I have two cats, and they are very cute.
它 (tā) is the pronoun for things and animals, and 们 (men) makes a pronoun plural. So 它们 means "they" or "them" when you are talking about non-human things like pets, objects, or ideas.
Common mistake: Learners often use 它们 for people because all three words sound the same as tāmen. For people use 他们 (mixed or male groups) or 她们 (all-female groups), and keep 它们 for animals and things.
它们 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
它 tā · it · 5 strokes
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们 men · plural marker for pronouns · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 它们.
| 我们 | wǒmen | we; us; ourselves |
| 他们 | tāmen | they; them |
| 你们 | nǐmen | you (plural) |
| 她们 | tāmen | they; them (females) |
| 朋友们 | péngyoumen | |
| 人们 | rénmen | people |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s) spoken to); (dialect) I or me |
| 其它 | qítā | (adjective) other |
| 哥们 | gēmen | (coll.) dude; buddy; bro |
| 哥们儿 | gēmenr | erhua form of 哥們|哥们[ge1 men5] |
| 管它 | guǎntā | no matter if; regardless of |
| 弟兄们 | dìxiōngmen | brothers; comrades |
Questions about 它们
What does 它们 mean?
它们 (tāmen) means "they; them" and is used as a pronoun.
How do you write 它们?
它们 is made of 2 characters: 它 (5 strokes), 们 (5 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 它们 an HSK word?
Yes. 它们 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 它们 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 它们 is written 它們.
Do Chinese speakers use 它们 for inanimate objects as often as English uses "they"?
Not always. In speech, Chinese often drops the pronoun or repeats the noun when the meaning is clear, so 它们 for objects shows up less than "they" does in English. It is common in writing and when talking about pets.
Can I tell 它们, 他们, and 她们 apart when listening?
No. All three are pronounced tāmen with the same tones, so the difference only appears in writing. In conversation, listeners rely on context to know who or what is meant.