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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.
Memory Mnemonic
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
wǒ zhēn de bù míng bái wéi shí mó yào gǎi biàn tā。
I really don't see any reason for changing it.
2
它猛地朝我的脚脖子咬下去，牙齿还咔咔直响。
tā měng dì zhāo wǒ de jiǎo bó zǐ yǎo xià qù， ， yá chǐ huán kǎ kǎ zhí。
His teeth clicked as he snapped at my ankle.
3
我游到救生筏前，死命地抓住它。
wǒ yóu dào jiù shēng fá qián， ， sǐ mìng dì zhuā zhù。
I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life.
4
这些表达方式经常相互替代使用，但它们的含义确实有所不同。
zhè xiē biǎo dá fāng shì jīng cháng xiāng hù tì dài shǐ yòng， ， dàn tā mén de hán yì què shí yǒu suǒ bù。
These expressions are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings.
5
它的发电成本要比核电站低。
tā de fā diàn chéng běn yào bǐ hé diàn zhàn dī。
It will produce electricity more cheaply than a nuclear plant.
6
它挠得我后脖梗儿的绒毛直痒痒。
tā náo dé wǒ hòu bó gěng ér de róng máo zhí yǎng yǎng。
It tickled the hairs on the back of my neck.
7
它的利润增长速度比一般公司快4倍。
tā de lì rùn zēng cháng sù dù bǐ yī bān gōng sī kuài4 4。
Its profits are rising four times faster than the average company.
8
我会帮你弄弄花园，帮你保持它的整洁。
wǒ huì bāng nǐ nòng nòng huā yuán， ， bāng nǐ bǎo chí tā de zhěng。
I'll do your garden, I'll keep that tidy for you.
9
把它扔进邮筒，要不然就让你的秘书发份传真。
bǎ tā rēng jìn yóu tǒng， ， yào bù rán jiù ràng nǐ de mì shū fā fèn chuán。
Pop it in the post, or get your secretary to fax it.
10
但是我告诉你它们是没用的。
dàn shì wǒ gào sù nǐ tā mén shì méi yòng de。
But I put it to you that they're useless.
Cultural Notes for 它
🏮Cultural insight
'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.
Word Family of 它
Compounds26
蛇she2variant of 蛇[shé]
驼tuo2camel; humpback; to carry on one's back
陀tuo2steep bank, rough terrain
舵duo4helm, rudder
坨tuo2lump, heap
鸵tuo2ostrich
铊ta1thallium
砣tuo2a stone roller; plumb, weight
沱tuo2river, stream, waterway; to flow
跎tuo2to stumble, to falter, to vacillate
鴕tuo2ostrich
佗tuo2other, he; surname; a load
駝tuo2camel; humpback; to carry on one's back
柁duo4the main beam of a house
紽
詑
酡tuo2ruddy, flushed
鮀
咜
岮
拕
炨
袉
迱
鉈
鼧
Words Containing This Character4
它tāit
它们tāmenthey (for inanimate objects)它們
其它other
吉它a guitar
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 蛇 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 它
No, '它' should only be used for non-human subjects like animals and objects.
It's generally more common in informal contexts; for formal writing involving animals, consider specifying the animal.
Remember that '他' (tā) refers to males, while '她' (tā) refers to females, and '它' (tā) is for non-human entities.
