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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'it' with 它 (tā)

    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    它 + Verb / Verb + 它

    Explanation

    它 (tā) is the third-person pronoun used to refer to animals, objects, or abstract things, meaning "it." While spoken Chinese uses the same pronunciation tā for he, she, and it, the written forms differ: 他 for males, 她 for females, and 它 for non-human referents. It functions as a subject or object in a sentence.

    Examples

    • 这只狗很聪明，它会自己开门。

      Zhè zhī gǒu hěn cōngming, tā huì zìjǐ kāi mén.

      This dog is very smart; it can open the door by itself.

    • 我买了一本书，它的内容很有趣。

      Wǒ mǎi le yì běn shū, tā de nèiróng hěn yǒuqù.

      I bought a book; its content is very interesting.

    • 那棵树很老了，它已经有一百年了。

      Nà kē shù hěn lǎo le, tā yǐjīng yǒu yì bǎi nián le.

      That tree is very old; it's already a hundred years old.

    Often Confused With

    Expressing 'it' with 它 (tā) | Chinese Grammar