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    Chinese Grammar

    Referring to 'they' or 'them' with 他们 (tāmen)

    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    他们 + Verb / Verb + 他们

    Explanation

    他们 (tāmen) is the third-person plural pronoun meaning "they" or "them," used for groups of people that include at least one male or groups of mixed gender. Like 我, it does not change form between subject and object positions. For example, 他们都是学生 means "They are all students."

    Examples

    • 他们下周要来北京出差。

      Tāmen xià zhōu yào lái Běijīng chūchāi.

      They are coming to Beijing on a business trip next week.

    • 我跟他们约好了周六见面。

      Wǒ gēn tāmen yuē hǎo le zhōuliù jiànmiàn.

      I arranged with them to meet on Saturday.

    • 他们的孩子都上大学了。

      Tāmen de háizi dōu shàng dàxué le.

      Their children are all in college now.

    Often Confused With

    Referring to 'they' or 'them' with 他们 (tāmen) | Chinese Grammar