pronoun HSK 1
you (singular)
Meaning
This is the most basic second-person singular pronoun in Mandarin, equivalent to 'you' in English when addressing one person. It is used in everyday conversation to refer to the person you are speaking to directly.
Usage
你 is used in informal and neutral contexts. In formal situations, 您 (nín) is used instead as a polite form. It can be combined with other words to form possessive (你的), reflexive (你自己), or plural (你们) forms.
Examples
- 01你好吗？?How are you?
- 02你喜欢吃什么？?What do you like to eat?
Common collocations
- 你好hello
- 你叫什么名字What is your name?
- 你呢How about you?
- 谢谢你thank you
Antonyms
Origin
The character 你 is composed of the person radical 亻(rén) on the left and 尔 (ěr, an archaic second-person pronoun) on the right, literally meaning 'the person who is you.'