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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'he' or 'him' with 他 (tā)

    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    他 + Verb Phrase

    Explanation

    The pronoun 他 (tā) means 'he' or 'him' and is the masculine third-person pronoun in Chinese. In spoken Chinese it sounds identical to 她 (she) and 它 (it), but in writing the different characters distinguish gender and animacy.

    Examples

    • 他是我最好的朋友。

      Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyǒu.

      He is my best friend.

    • 你认识他吗？他就住在楼上。

      Nǐ rènshi tā ma? Tā jiù zhù zài lóushàng.

      Do you know him? He lives right upstairs.

    • 他说他明天不来上班了。

      Tā shuō tā míngtiān bù lái shàngbān le.

      He said he won't be coming to work tomorrow.

    Often Confused With

    Expressing 'he' or 'him' with 他 (tā) | Chinese Grammar