Chinese Pronouns Learning Guide
An introductory course to understanding and learning the use of pronouns in the Chinese language.
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我的 (wǒ de)
my
The Chinese word '我的' is used to denote possession or ownership, similar to how 'my' is used in English. It can be used before a noun directly to show the ownership. For example, '我的书' is 'My book'.
Example sentences with 我的 →我自己 (wǒ zìjǐ)
myself
In Chinese, '我自己' is pronounced as 'wǒ zìjǐ'. It is used exactly as it is used in the English language. It is a reflexive pronoun used when the subject and the object of the sentence are the same person.
所有 (suǒyǒu)
all
In Chinese, '所有' is used to represent 'all' or 'every.' It can be followed by a noun to express 'all (of the)' or 'every.' For instance, '所有的人' refers to 'all (of the) people'.
无所谓 (wú suǒ wèi)
whatever
The Chinese word '无所谓' (wúsuǒwèi) is commonly used in conversation similar to 'whatever'. It implies a certain level of indifference or lack of preference. For instance, in making decisions, if someone says '无所谓', they mean that they don't have a strong preference and are fine with any option.
本身 (běn shēn)
itself
In Chinese, '本身' means 'itself'. It is often used to refer to the inherent nature or characteristics of something or someone. It can be used in various contexts, similar to how 'itself' is used in English.
某人 (mǒu rén)
someone
In Chinese, '某人' means 'someone'. It's a singular term used to refer to a person whose identity is unknown or not stated. It is often used in the same contexts as the English word 'someone', such as in sentences like 'Someone is at the door.' ('有某人在门口。')
某物 (mǒu wù)
something
In Mandarin, '某物' is used to refer to something or an object in a vague way, without specifying exactly what the object or thing is. It is often used when the speaker either doesn't know the specific identity of the thing, or doesn't need to specify it. It is similar to the English usage of 'something'.
每个人 (měi gè rén)
everyone
The Chinese phrase for 'everyone' is '每个人'. It is utilized in the same context as its English counterpart. It is suitable for formal and informal contexts, and it encompasses all individuals in a group, regardless of the group's size.
没人 (méi rén)
nobody
The Chinese word '没人' is used whenever you want to say 'nobody'. For example, '这里没人' means 'there's nobody here'. Because Chinese language doesn't have plural forms like in English, '没人' could mean either 'no one' or 'nobody' depending on the context.
没什么 (méishénme)
nothing
The Chinese translation of 'nothing' is '没什么'. It is used in the same way as in English, as a pronoun to signify the absence or lack of something. It can be used in various contexts, whether in response to being asked what one is doing, what one wants, etc.
相同 (xiāng tóng)
same
The Chinese word '相同' is used to express equality or uniformity between two or more objects or situations. It could be used in various contexts, just like how 'same' is used in English. The character '相' means 'mutually' and '同' means 'same', which together translates to 'same'.
确定 (quèdìng)
certain
In Chinese, 确定 is used when we want to indicate something has been decided or is certain. It can be used as a verb to confirm or decide. For example, if a Chinese speaker says '我已经确定了', they mean 'I have decided' or 'It is certain'.
自己 (zì jǐ)
self
The Chinese word '自己' refers to oneself or itself. It can be used in a variety of contexts such as to refer to oneself (我自己 - myself), in reflexive actions (他喜欢自己的工作 - He likes his own work), or to emphasize a point (我自己做的 - I did it myself).
Example sentences with 自己 →许多 (xǔ duō)
many
'许多' is a common word used in the Chinese language to indicate a large number or quantity. It can be used similarly to the English word 'many'. For example, in the context of 'There are many people at the park', you would say '公园里有许多人'.
谁 (shéi)
who
The Chinese word for 'who' is '谁'. It is used in questions to ask about someone's identity or select someone from a certain group. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, just like its English counterpart 'who'.
Example sentences with 谁 →谁的 (shuí de)
whose
The Chinese word for 'whose', '谁的', is used to refer to ownership or possession. It is common in questions asking about which person owns or is related to something. Similar to English, it is typically followed by a noun or noun phrase.
这个 (zhè ge)
this
The Chinese word '这个' is the equivalent of the English word 'this'. It is used to denote something that is close to the speaker and the listener. It could indicate an idea, a person, an object or even a place that is within the immediate context or situation.
这些 (zhèxiē)
these
The Chinese word '这些' is equivalent to 'these' in English. It is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific group of people or things close to the speaker in physical or psychological space. It is often followed by a noun, though the noun is sometimes omitted if clear from the context.
那 (nà)
that
The Chinese word for 'that', '那', is used similar to the English word. It is used to point forward to something coming later in conversation or to indicate an object at a bit of distance. Unlike English, Chinese doesn't have a specific singular or plural form so '那' can refer to either 'that' or 'those' based on context.
那些 (nàxiē)
those
The Chinese word '那些' which means 'those' is used in sentences to refer to specific items or people in a group that the speaker does not have presently but is familiar with or knows about. It can be used in both formal and informal settings
那里 (nàlǐ)
there
The Chinese word '那里' translates to 'there' in English. It is used to point towards a place or item that is located at a distance from the speaker. It can be used in a variety of contexts, ranging from directing someone to a far-off location, to indicate where an object is located, to formulating rhetorical or existential questions.
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