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    Chinese Grammar

    Referring to 'they' or 'them' (non-human) with 它们 (tāmen)

    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    它们 + Verb / Verb + 它们

    Explanation

    它们 (tāmen) is the third-person plural pronoun meaning "they" or "them" and is used specifically for non-human entities such as animals, objects, or abstract things. It functions the same way as 他们 grammatically but is reserved for non-human referents. For example, 它们很可爱 means "They are very cute" (referring to animals).

    Examples

    • 这些小狗太可爱了，它们是什么品种的？

      Zhèxiē xiǎo gǒu tài kě'ài le, tāmen shì shénme pǐnzhǒng de?

      These puppies are so cute — what breed are they?

    • 桌上有几本书，它们都是图书馆借的。

      Zhuō shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū, tāmen dōu shì túshūguǎn jiè de.

      There are several books on the table; they're all borrowed from the library.

    • 树上的苹果熟了，它们又大又红。

      Shù shàng de píngguǒ shú le, tāmen yòu dà yòu hóng.

      The apples on the tree are ripe; they're big and red.

    Often Confused With

    Referring to 'they' or 'them' (non-human) with 它们 (tāmen) | Chinese Grammar