他们
他he or him们plural marker for people=they, male or mixed
他
他 (tā) Chinese Character: he, him
亻 tells you this tā is a person: 他, “he / him.”
Practice 他 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: The Person We Are Talking About
他 (tā) means “he” or “him.” The person component 亻 stands on the left, and 也 on the right gives the sound. Chinese speech uses the same pronunciation tā for 他, 她, and 它, so the written character tells you which “ta” the sentence means.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
他的
他he or him的possessive marker=his
Chinese character origin and etymology
他 is documented as a character built from meaningful or phonetic parts. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 他 is written with 5 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 他 contains 亻 and 也. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
他 is written with 5 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 亻 — person
- 也 — phonetic component pronounced yě on its own
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 他 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
他是我的朋友。
He is my friend.
我认识他。
I know him.
他在学校。
He is at school.
Learning tips for 他
Learn the reading as one unit: tā, with the first tone: high and level. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “he, him,” and write the 5 strokes from memory.
Because 他 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 她 (tā, she, her — same sound, different left component); 你 (nǐ, you); 也 (yě, also — the right component). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 他 without pinyin?
- Can you say tā with the correct tone and explain “he, him”?
- Can you write all 5 strokes in order?
- Can you use 他 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 他 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.