Usage of 他
The pronoun 他 is primarily used to refer to 'he' or 'him' in Mandarin Chinese. It can also be used as a generic third-person pronoun when the gender is unknown or irrelevant, although in modern usage, 她 (she) and 它 (it) are used to specify female or non-human subjects respectively.
Common Collocations and Patterns
- 他是... (He is...) — used to introduce or identify a male person.
- 他不知道... (He doesn't know...) — expressing lack of knowledge.
- 如果他... (If he...) — conditional sentences involving a third person.
When using 他, it is important to note that it always functions as a subject or object pronoun and does not change form. It is one of the most basic and frequently used pronouns in Mandarin.
Notes on Usage
- 他 can sometimes be used generically to refer to a person regardless of gender, especially in older or more formal texts, but modern Mandarin prefers 她 for females.
- In spoken language, context usually clarifies the gender.
- 他 is always singular; for plural, 他们 (tāmen) is used.
Avoid confusing 他 with 她 (she) or 它 (it), which are distinct pronouns with specific gender or animacy references.