他们 (tāmen) — they, them

HSK 1 | pronoun | third-person plural pronoun (masculine or mixed)

他们 (tāmen)

The third-person plural pronoun used for groups of males or mixed-gender groups; for all-female groups, 她们 is preferred in writing, though both are spoken identically as tāmen.

Meanings

  1. [pronoun] They (subject, masculine or mixed group).
  2. [pronoun] Them (object).
  3. [pronoun] Their (before 的: 他们的).

Example Sentences

他们都是我的朋友。 Tāmen dōu shì wǒ de péngyou. They are all my friends.

我不认识他们。 Wǒ bú rènshi tāmen. I do not know them.

他们的学校在哪里? Tāmen de xuéxiào zài nǎlǐ? Where is their school?

他们昨天去看电影了。 Tāmen zuótiān qù kàn diànyǐng le. They went to see a movie yesterday.

Collocations

Collocation Meaning
他们的 (tāmen de) their, theirs
他们都 (tāmen dōu) they all
告诉他们 (gàosu tāmen) tell them
他们是 (tāmen shì) they are
帮助他们 (bāngzhù tāmen) help them
和他们 (hé tāmen) with them

Memory Hook

他们 is just 他 (he) with the crowd suffix 们. Whenever you see 们 attached, multiply that single person into a group of people.