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March 24, 2026
它tā(ta1)
The character '它' (tā) is a pronoun that means 'it' in English. It is commonly used to refer to non-human subjects or objects, distinguishing them from humans, which are referred to with '他' (tā) for males and '她' (tā) for females. You will often encounter '它' in both spoken and written contexts when discussing animals or inanimate objects.
Strokes5Radical宀Frequency#91DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
'它' is often used in Chinese when discussing pets, which are increasingly popular in urban areas. The way people refer to their pets as 'it' can reflect a cultural view on animals, highlighting a distinction between humans and non-humans.
Memory Tip
Imagine a cat (which is a non-human) sitting on a mat. You can think of '它' as the character for 'it' sitting on a mat, representing the word 'it' for non-human things. The character '它' looks a bit like a house (the top part) with a little tail (the bottom part), symbolizing that 'it' can refer to something that is at home or nearby.
Meanings of 它
tā(ta1)
1it
2it; other
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 它
它Simplified
5Strokes
宀Radical
代词dàicípronoun (pron.)Part of Speech
#91Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 它
Podcast: 它
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AI Study Notes for 它
Quick Contrast
它 (it) vs 他 (he) — use '它' for non-human subjects, while '他' is specifically for male humans.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse '它' with '他' and '她', which refer to 'he' and 'she' respectively. '它' is best used in informal contexts, especially when talking about animals or objects. Common collocations include '它们' (tāmen) for 'they' when referring to multiple non-human entities.
HSK Study Tips
At HSK Level 2, you should focus on using '它' in simple sentences to refer to animals or objects. Connect this word with other pronouns you've learned, such as '我' (wǒ - I), '你' (nǐ - you), and '他们' (tāmen - they) to practice forming sentences.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use '它' for people, saying '它是我的朋友' (It is my friend), which should be '他是我的朋友' (He is my friend) if referring to a male. Another common error is using '它们' incorrectly when referring to human groups instead of non-human ones.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 它
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Pictograph of a snake, now written as 蛇. The current use as a pronoun is a phonetic loan.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 它? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Decomposition of 它
IDS Structure⿱宀匕
它Full Character
=
宀gai4
top
匕bi3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 它?
How to say it in Chinese
“it” in Chinese is它tā
The character '它' (tā) is a pronoun that means 'it' in English. It is commonly used to refer to non-human subjects or objects, distinguishing them from humans, which are referred to with '他' (tā) for males and '她' (tā) for females. You will often encounter '它' in both spoken and written contexts when discussing animals or inanimate objects.
When to use 它
Be careful not to confuse '它' with '他' and '她', which refer to 'he' and 'she' respectively. '它' is best used in informal contexts, especially when talking about animals or objects. Common collocations include '它们' (tāmen) for 'they' when referring to multiple non-human entities.
它 or something close to it
它 (it) vs 他 (he) — use '它' for non-human subjects, while '他' is specifically for male humans.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use '它' for people, saying '它是我的朋友' (It is my friend), which should be '他是我的朋友' (He is my friend) if referring to a male. Another common error is using '它们' incorrectly when referring to human groups instead of non-human ones.
Write 它
它
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Practice writing 它 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 它
它 functions as a pronoun — it stands in for a noun. Use it in the same positions as nouns (subject before verb, object after). Plurals are formed by adding 们 (我们, 他们). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
