Pronoun Combinations
In Mandarin Chinese, pronouns can combine with particles like de 的 or with other pronouns to show possession, emphasis, or grouping. This guide covers common pronoun forms and how they pair with particles and quantifiers.
Basic Pronouns
Basic pronouns in Mandarin are short and set: first person is wǒ 我, second person is nǐ 你, and third person is tā 他/她/它 depending on reference. Plurals add men 们 for people.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I / me |
| 你 | nǐ | you (singular) |
| 他 | tā | he / him |
| 她 | tā | she / her |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we / us |
| 你们 | nǐmen | you (plural) |
| 他们 | tāmen | they / them |
| 她们 | tāmen | they (feminine) |
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Possessive Particle de 的
To show possession, add the particle de 的 after a pronoun or noun. For example, wǒ de 我的 means "my" and tā de 他的 means "his." This forms a straightforward possessive.
| Example | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| My book | 我的书 | wǒ de shū | my book |
| Your friend | 你的朋友 | nǐ de péngyǒu | your friend |
| Her house | 她的房子 | tā de fángzi | her house |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我的书 | wǒ de shū | my book |
| 你的手机 | nǐ de shǒujī | your phone |
| 他的杯子 | tā de bēizi | his cup |
| 她的包 | tā de bāo | her bag |
| 我们的老师 | wǒmen de lǎoshī | our teacher |
| 你们的房子 | nǐmen de fángzi | your (pl.) house |
| 他们的车 | tāmen de chē | their car |
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Emphatic Possessive jiāngjūn de 将军的
To emphasize the owner, you can add a noun or title before de 的, such as jiāngjūn de 将军的 ("the general's") or repeat the pronoun for stress. This is more stylistic and used when highlighting possession.
| Example | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| The general's sword | 将军的剑 | jiāngjūn de jiàn | the general's sword |
| My own hand | 我自己的手 | wǒ zìjǐ de shǒu | my own hand |
| Their leader's plan | 领袖的计划 | lǐngxiù de jìhuà | the leader's plan |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 将军的命令 | jiāngjūn de mìnglìng | the general’s order |
| 将军的旗帜 | jiāngjūn de qízhì | the general’s flag |
| 将军的军队 | jiāngjūn de jūnduì | the general’s army |
| 将军的马 | jiāngjūn de mǎ | the general’s horse |
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Reciprocal bǐjiāo 比较
Reciprocal actions use pronouns like duìfāng 对方 (the other side) or phrases with bǐjiāo 比较 to compare or share between parties. Mandarin typically uses nouns rather than combined pronouns for reciprocity.
| Example | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each other's book | 彼此的书 | bǐcǐ de shū | each other's book |
| Their relative | 他们的亲戚 | tāmen de qīnqi | their relative |
| Compare notes | 比较笔记 | bǐjiāo bǐjì | compare notes |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他们比较高 | tāmen bǐjiāo gāo | they are comparatively tall |
| 我比较忙 | wǒ bǐjiāo máng | I am relatively busy |
| 这本书比较有趣 | zhè běn shū bǐjiāo yǒuqù | this book is more interesting |
| 今天比较冷 | jīntiān bǐjiāo lěng | today is rather cold |
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Adding Quantifiers and zìjǐ 自己
To specify quantity or add emphasis, pronouns can combine with quantifiers or with zìjǐ 自己 for "oneself." For example, wǒmen zìjǐ 我们自己 stresses "we ourselves," and nǐ de èr gè 你的两个 adds a number.
| Example | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| We ourselves | 我们自己 | wǒmen zìjǐ | we ourselves |
| Your two (items) | 你的两个 | nǐ de liǎng gè | your two (pieces) |
| He himself | 他自己 | tā zìjǐ | he himself |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我自己做的 | wǒ zìjǐ zuò de | I did it myself |
| 她自己买了票 | tā zìjǐ mǎi le piào | she bought the ticket herself |
| 每个人都说了自己的意见 | měi gèrén dōu shuō le zìjǐ de yìjiàn | everyone expressed their own opinion |
| 两个人一起搬自己的箱子 | liǎng gèrén yìqǐ bān zìjǐ de xiāngzi | two people moved their own boxes together |
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Summary
Mandarin pronouns are short and clear: use de 的 to show possession, add zìjǐ 自己 for emphasis, and use quantifiers to specify amount. Reciprocal ideas usually use nouns like bǐcǐ 彼此 rather than merged pronoun forms.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025