He, she, and it in Chinese: spoken tā and written pronouns
Learn how Mandarin uses the same spoken syllable tā for he, she, and it, but different written characters. Practice five useful patterns and a short dialogue.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In standard Mandarin, 他 (he), 她 (she), and 它 (it) are all pronounced tā. The difference appears only in writing. In conversation, context, names, or nouns usually make the referent clear. This lesson teaches you the three characters, five complete sentence patterns, and how to avoid ambiguity when speaking. You will also learn when to repeat a name or noun instead of relying on tā alone. All examples use simplified Chinese and pinyin with tone marks.
By the end, you can…
- recognize and write 他, 她, and 它 for he, she, and it.
- use tā in spoken sentences and clarify with names or nouns when needed.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
他是我哥哥。
He is my older brother.
tā shì wǒ gēge.
Use 他 for a male person. 哥哥 means older brother.
她是我姐姐。
She is my older sister.
tā shì wǒ jiějie.
Use 她 for a female person. 姐姐 means older sister.
它是一只猫。
It is a cat.
tā shì yì zhī māo.
Use 它 for an animal or thing. 只 is the measure word for many animals. Note: 一 is pronounced yì before a first-tone syllable like zhī.
他叫什么名字？
What is his name?
tā jiào shénme míngzi?
Ask about a male person. For a female, write 她 instead of 他.
她喜欢喝茶。
She likes drinking tea.
tā xǐhuan hē chá.
Use 她 for a female person. 喜欢 means like; 喝茶 means drink tea.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A simple pattern is: tā + 是 + noun. For example, 他是我哥哥 (He is my older brother), 她是我姐姐 (She is my older sister), 它是一只猫 (It is a cat). In speech, all three begin with the same sound tā. The written character tells you whether the person is male, female, or the referent is a thing or animal. When you speak, you can add a name or noun to make the meaning clear: 我哥哥他... (My older brother, he...), 我姐姐她... (My older sister, she...).
When to use it
Use 他 for a male person, 她 for a female person, and 它 for an animal or inanimate thing. In conversation, if two people of different genders are both mentioned, repeating the name or noun helps: 小明他... 小红她... (Xiaoming, he...; Xiaohong, she...). For a mixed group, use 他们 (they) in writing; for a group of only females, use 她们. In speech, 他们 and 她们 are both pronounced tāmen. If you are unsure, use a name or noun instead of tā.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
她是谁？
Who is she?tā shì shéi?她是我姐姐。
She is my older sister.tā shì wǒ jiějie.他呢？
And he?tā ne?他是我哥哥。
He is my older brother.tā shì wǒ gēge.A little context goes a long way
In standard Mandarin, the spoken form tā does not distinguish gender. The written distinction between 他, 她, and 它 is a modern convention. In everyday conversation, people often rely on context or repeat names. When writing formally, choose the character that matches the referent. For a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant, 他 is sometimes used as a generic form, but many writers prefer to rephrase.
One thing to watch for
Assuming that spoken Mandarin has different sounds for he and she, and trying to pronounce 他 and 她 differently.
Try this instead: Both 他 and 她 are pronounced tā. The difference is only in writing. For example, 他是我哥哥 and 她是我姐姐 sound identical at the start: tā shì wǒ... To clarify in speech, add a name or noun: 我哥哥他... or 我姐姐她...
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Which character would you write for 'she' in 她是我姐姐?
Show a sample answer
她
她 is the female third-person pronoun. 他 is male, and 它 is for things or animals. In speech, all are tā.
2How do you say 'He is my older brother' in Chinese?
Show a sample answer
他是我哥哥。
他 is the male pronoun, 是 means is, 我 means my, and 哥哥 means older brother. 她 would mean she, and 它 would mean it.
3If you are speaking and the listener cannot tell whether you mean he or she, what can you do?
Show a sample answer
Repeat the name or noun, for example: 小明他... or 我姐姐她...
Because spoken tā is the same, adding a name or noun clarifies the referent. Other strategies, such as pointing or using context, can also work.
In spoken Mandarin, 他, 她, and 它 are all tā. Use the written character to show gender or non-person reference, and clarify speech with names or nouns when needed.
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