tāmen: 它们 - They, Them (for non-human objects, animals)

Keywords: tamen Chinese, 它们 pinyin, they in Chinese, they for animals Chinese, Chinese pronouns, difference between 他们 她们 它们, tamen vs tamen, HSK 1 grammar, plural for it in Chinese, non-human pronoun China.

Summary: Learn how to use “它们” (tāmen), the essential Chinese pronoun for “they” or “them” when referring to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas. This guide clarifies the crucial difference between the three written forms of “tāmen” (他们, 她们, 它们), a common point of confusion for beginners, helping you write and read with more accuracy and nuance.

Pinyin (with tone marks): tāmen (tā men)

Part of Speech: Pronoun

HSK Level: HSK 1

Concise Definition: The plural pronoun “they” or “them” used to refer to animals, objects, or abstract concepts.

In a Nutshell: While English uses a single word “they” for all plural groups, Mandarin Chinese is more specific in its written form. 它们 (tāmen) is the plural of 它 (tā), which means “it”. Think of 它们 as “the its” or a direct plural for non-human things. If you're talking about your dogs, your books, or your problems, 它们 is the correct word to use in writing.

它 (tā): This character means “it”. It refers to a non-human entity, be it an animal or an object. You can remember it by its top radical `宀` (mián), which means “roof”—things and animals are often found under a roof.

们 (men): This is a crucial particle in Chinese that indicates a plural for pronouns. It attaches to words like “I” (我 wǒ) to make “we” (我们 wǒmen) and to “you” (你 nǐ) to make “you (plural)” (你们 nǐmen).

The characters combine logically: “it” (它) + plural marker (们) = “they/them for non-human things” (它们).

The significance of 它们 is less about deep cultural values and more about the linguistic philosophy of the Chinese written language: specificity. While all three forms of “they” — 他们 (tāmen - male/mixed), 她们 (tāmen - female), and 它们 (tāmen - non-human) — are pronounced identically, the written language demands clarity.

Contrast with English: This contrasts sharply with modern English, where “they” is increasingly used as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun for people. The Chinese writing system, by default, forces the writer to specify the nature of the group being discussed. This isn't a reflection of social views on gender fluidity but rather a long-standing grammatical feature that prioritizes precision in text. For a learner, mastering this distinction is a key step from just speaking to writing correctly.

Informal vs. Formal: In formal writing, using the correct 他们/她们/它们 is mandatory. In very casual digital chats, some people might use the default pinyin input `tamen`, which often produces 他们, as a lazy catch-all. However, learning to use 它们 correctly demonstrates a better command of the language. Its connotation is entirely neutral.

Pronunciation vs. Writing: This is critical: 他们 (tāmen), 她们 (tāmen), and 它们 (tāmen) sound exactly the same. The difference is purely in the written characters. When you're speaking, no one can tell which one you mean, but when you're typing or writing, the distinction is clear and important.

Mixed Groups: Remember, if a group contains even one male person, the correct pronoun is 他们. If it's a group of animals and people, context dictates, but typically you would restructure the sentence to avoid ambiguity. For just animals or just objects, always use 它们.

他们 (tāmen) - The most common “they/them,” used for groups of all males or for mixed-gender groups.

她们 (tāmen) - “They/them” used exclusively for groups of all females.

它 (tā) - The singular form of 它们, meaning “it”.

他 (tā) - The singular “he/him”.

她 (tā) - The singular “she/her”.

我们 (wǒmen) - “We/us,” showing the plural marker `们` attached to “I/me” (我).

你们 (nǐmen) - “You (plural),” showing the plural marker `们` attached to “you” (你).

这些 (zhèxiē) - “These.” A demonstrative pronoun that is often a good alternative to 它们. (e.g., “These are old.”)

那些 (nàxiē) - “Those.” Another demonstrative pronoun that can be used instead of 它们. (e.g., “Those are cute.”)