pronoun HSK 1
Traditional 她們
they (female) · them (female)
Meaning
This is the third-person plural pronoun specifically referring to a group of females. It combines 她 (she) with the plural suffix 们. When a group includes both males and females, Chinese typically uses 他们 (the masculine form) rather than 她们.
Usage
Native speakers use 她们 when clearly referring to an all-female group. In mixed-gender groups, 他们 is standard. In writing, the distinction is visible, but in speech all three pronouns (他们, 她们, 它们) sound identical as 'tā men', so context determines meaning. Commonly appears as the subject or object of sentences.
Examples
- 01她们是我的同学。.They are my classmates.
- 02我昨天见到她们了。.I saw them yesterday.
Characters
Common collocations
- 她们俩the two of them (female)
- 她们都they all (female)
- 她们的their, theirs (female)
Origin
The character 她 was created in the early 20th century to distinguish the feminine third-person pronoun in writing. The suffix 们 has been used since ancient Chinese to mark plurality for people.