Library · Introduction to Chinese grammar
4 People, things and places
What you'll learn How to say who and what you mean, whose something is, and where it is.
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4.1 I, you, he, she and it
我 is I, 你 you, 他 he and 她 she. Each stays the same wherever it stands: 我 is me as well, and 他 him.
王明是我的同学，他是中国人。王明是我的同學，他是中國人。
Wang Ming is my classmate. He's Chinese.
李月是我的朋友，我很喜欢她。李月是我的朋友，我很喜歡她。
Li Yue is my friend. I like her a lot.
他 and 她 are both tā, and so is 它, it, for an animal or a thing. Only the written word tells them apart.
李月有一只猫，它叫小白。李月有一只貓，它叫小白。
Li Yue has a cat. She's called Xiaobai.
您 is a polite you, for someone older, a teacher, or someone you don't know.
张老师，您喝茶吗？張老師，您喝茶嗎？
Would you like some tea, Teacher Zhang?
们們 after 我, 你, 他 or 她 makes more than one: 我们我們 we, 你们你們 you, 他们他們 they. 她们她們 is for a group of women; a group with any man in it is 他们他們. After a word for people, 们們 makes a group of them: 同学们同學們, 朋友们朋友們.
同学们，你们好！同學們，你們好！
Hello, class.
小白很漂亮，我的朋友们都很喜欢它。小白很漂亮，我的朋友們都很喜歡它。
Xiaobai is very pretty, and my friends all love her.
With a number, 们們 is left out: 三个朋友三個朋友, three friends.
✗我有三个朋友们。我有三個朋友們。
I've got three friends.
4.2 This and that, here and there
这這 is this and 那 that. On their own they can be what a sentence is about.
这是我的房间，那是我妹妹的。這是我的房間，那是我妹妹的。
This is my room, and that one's my younger sister's.
Before a thing, they take a measure word, as a number does: 这个人這個人, this person; 那本书那本書, that book.
那个女孩子是我妹妹。那個女孩子是我妹妹。
That girl is my younger sister.
这儿這兒 is here and 那儿那兒 there. 这里這裡 and 那里那裏 mean the same.
我在这儿，你在哪儿？我在這兒，你在哪兒？
I'm here. Where are you?
王明的手机在那儿。王明的手機在那兒。
Wang Ming's phone is over there.
这些這些 and 那些 are these and those. They need no measure word: 这些书這些書, these books.
这些书都是李月的。這些書都是李月的。
These books are all Li Yue's.
那些人是谁？那些人是誰？
Who are those people?
那些衣服很漂亮。
Those clothes are lovely.
4.3 Whose, and what kind: 的
的 after a person says whose something is, as 's does in English: 王明的书王明的書, Wang Ming's book. 我的 is my, 你的 your, 他的 his.
小白是李月的猫。小白是李月的貓。
Xiaobai is Li Yue's cat.
这件衣服是谁的？這件衣服是誰的？
Whose is this?
With nothing after it, it stands for the thing itself: 是我的, it's mine.
那本书是王明的。那本書是王明的。
That book is Wang Ming's.
Before family, and the people and places close to you, 的 is often left out: 我妈妈我媽媽, 我家, 我们老师我們老師.
我妈妈是医生，我爸爸是老师。我媽媽是醫生，我爸爸是老師。
My mum's a doctor, and my dad's a teacher.
After a word that describes, 的 says what kind: 很好的朋友, a very good friend. A word of one character often goes without it: 好朋友, 新书新書. After a place it works the same: 那儿的菜那兒的菜, the food there.
她是一个很好的老师。她是一個很好的老師。
She's a very good teacher.
那儿的菜很好吃。那兒的菜很好吃。
The food there is good.
4.4 Some: 有的 and 有些
有的 before a thing says some of them. A second 有的 often says what the rest do.
有的同学喜欢喝茶，有的喜欢喝牛奶。有的同學喜歡喝茶，有的喜歡喝牛奶。
Some of the class like tea, and some like milk.
这些书有的是我的，有的是王明的。這些書有的是我的，有的是王明的。
Some of these books are mine, and some are Wang Ming's.
有些 means the same, and often stands alone, with no second part.
有些字我不会写。有些字我不會寫。
There are some characters I can't write.
有些人不喜欢猫。有些人不喜歡貓。
Some people don't like cats.
Both go before the verb, with the thing they are about. After the verb, where English puts some, it is 一些 instead: 我认识一些中国人我認識一些中國人.
✗我喜欢有的菜。我喜歡有的菜。
I like some of the dishes.
有的菜我喜欢，有的我不喜欢。有的菜我喜歡，有的我不喜歡。
I like some of the dishes, but not others.
有点儿有點兒 starts the same, but is another word: a bit, before a word that describes.
有些菜有点儿贵。有些菜有點兒貴。
Some of the dishes are a bit expensive.
4.5 On, under, in front and behind
To say where something is, Chinese names the thing first, then the place on it: 桌子上, on the table; 房间里房間裡, in the room. It is the other way round from English.
你的茶在桌子上。
Your tea's on the table.
✗你的茶在上桌子。
Your tea's on the table.
那个房间里没有人。那個房間裡沒有人。
There's no one in that room.
上 is on, 下 under, 里裡 in, 外 outside, 前 in front and 后後 behind. With 边邊, side, after it, each is a word of its own: 上边上邊, 下边下邊, 里边裡邊, 外边外邊, 前边前邊, 后边後邊. After a thing, 上 and 里裡 mostly stand alone; the others mostly take 边邊.
小白在哪儿？——它在椅子下边。小白在哪兒？——它在椅子下邊。
Where's Xiaobai? — She's under the chair.
我的手机在书下边。我的手機在書下邊。
My phone's under the book.
王明在我前边，李月在我后边。王明在我前邊，李月在我後邊。
Wang Ming is in front of me, and Li Yue is behind me.
A word with 边邊 can stand alone, with no thing before it: 外边外邊, outside.
孩子们在外边玩。孩子們在外邊玩。
The children are playing outside.
王明，外边冷吗？王明，外邊冷嗎？
Is it cold outside, Wang Ming?
4.6 What there is somewhere, 6.2 Where, with 在, comes before it too
4.6 What there is somewhere
To say what there is somewhere, start with the place, then 有, then what is there: 桌子上有两杯茶桌子上有兩杯茶, there are two cups of tea on the table. The place needs no 在 before it.
桌子上有两杯茶。桌子上有兩杯茶。
There are two cups of tea on the table.
椅子下边有一只猫。椅子下邊有一只貓。
There's a cat under the chair.
学校前边有一家书店。學校前邊有一家書店。
There's a bookshop in front of the school.
那儿有很多人。那兒有很多人。
There are lots of people there.
没有沒有 says there isn't any.
杯子里没有水。杯子裡沒有水。
There's no water in the glass.
With 是 in place of 有, it says what is there, as you would point it out: 我前边是王明我前邊是王明, in front of me is Wang Ming.
我前边是王明，后边是李月。我前邊是王明，後邊是李月。
In front of me is Wang Ming, and behind me, Li Yue.
Where one particular thing is goes the other way round: the thing, then 在 and the place: 小白在椅子下边小白在椅子下邊, Xiaobai is under the chair.
4.5 On, under, in front and behind, 6.2 Where, with 在, comes before it too
4.7 Friendly names with 小
Between friends, classmates and people who work together, 小 before a family name makes a friendly name for someone younger, or about your own age: 小王, 小李.
李月是我的同学，我叫她小李。李月是我的同學，我叫她小李。
Li Yue is my classmate. I call her Xiao Li.
小王，你好！
Hi, Xiao Wang!
小王，你来这儿。小王，你來這兒。
Xiao Wang, come over here.
It is used to the person, and about them.
小王在外边，小李在房间里。小王在外邊，小李在房間裡。
Xiao Wang is outside, and Xiao Li is in her room.
我们都叫他小王。我們都叫他小王。
We all call him Xiao Wang.
小王家有五口人。
There are five people in Xiao Wang's family.
For someone older, or a teacher, it isn't used: say 张老师張老師, or 王先生.