Meanings of 們
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About 們
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Podcast: 們
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AI Study Notes for 們
你們 (nǐmen - you plural) vs 咱們 (zánmen - we inclusive): Use 們 (men) with 你 (you) to indicate plurality, while 咱們 (zánmen) is specifically for inclusive 'we'.
A common mistake is to incorrectly apply 們 to nouns that do not typically take a plural form, such as in '桌子們' (zhuōzi men - 'the tables') which is incorrect. Instead, use it with pronouns or animate nouns like '學生們' (xuéshēng men - 'the students'). Remember that this marker is informal and primarily used in spoken Mandarin.
While 們 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, understanding its function is crucial for HSK 1 and 2, where personal pronouns are frequently used. Focus on practicing sentences with both singular and plural forms to see the differences.
Learners often mistakenly add 們 to non-animate nouns, such as '車們' (chē men - 'the cars'), which is incorrect. The correct term should simply be '車' (chē) without the plural marker.
Pronunciation of 們
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Etymology of 們
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 门 represents the sound.
people
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 們
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 门 represents the sound.
- 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half門 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaypeople
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Decomposition of 們
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How to say plural marker for pronouns and some nouns in Chinese
“plural marker for pronouns and some nouns” in Chinese is們
The character 們 (men) is a plural marker used primarily for personal pronouns and certain nouns in Mandarin Chinese. It indicates that the subject is more than one person, such as in 我們 (wǒmen - we) or 他們 (tāmen - they). It's important to note that not all nouns can take this plural marker, and its usage is mainly restricted to pronouns and some animate nouns.
When to use 們
A common mistake is to incorrectly apply 們 to nouns that do not typically take a plural form, such as in '桌子們' (zhuōzi men - 'the tables') which is incorrect. Instead, use it with pronouns or animate nouns like '學生們' (xuéshēng men - 'the students'). Remember that this marker is informal and primarily used in spoken Mandarin.
們 or something close to it
你們 (nǐmen - you plural) vs 咱們 (zánmen - we inclusive): Use 們 (men) with 你 (you) to indicate plurality, while 咱們 (zánmen) is specifically for inclusive 'we'.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly add 們 to non-animate nouns, such as '車們' (chē men - 'the cars'), which is incorrect. The correct term should simply be '車' (chē) without the plural marker.
Write 們
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Word Family of 們
Compound Meaning
What does 我们 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 們
No, 們 is specifically used with personal pronouns and certain animate nouns. It cannot be used with inanimate objects.
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