(tā rén) - other people, others in Mandarin
tārénTraditional: 他人
Translation
other people, others
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Word origin
A compound of 他 (tā, other, he) and 人 (rén, person), preserving the older sense of 他 as other.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 他 (tā, other) + 人 (rén, person)
Stroke order
他
人
Examples
勿。
Please do not disturb others who are resting.
。
We should respect other people's choices.
。
Do not push the responsibility onto other people.
。
He never cares about other people's feelings.
。
This information must not be given to anyone else.
他人 (tārén) means other people in general, and it is the formal register cousin of 别人 (biérén). You see it on public notices, in contracts and in essays; you rarely hear it in a kitchen.
The 他 here is not the pronoun "he". It is the older meaning of the character, other, the same one inside 其他 (qítā, other) and 他乡 (tāxiāng, a place away from home). So 他人 is gender-neutral.
For ordinary conversation use 别人. Reach for 他人 when the sentence is already formal, and you will sound right rather than stiff.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
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他人: worksheet, infographic and listicleThe padlock and Plus mark show a Kilo Lingo Plus feature. Start your free week to unlock it - no card needed.
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "他人" (other people, others): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free week (no card)This word is taught in chapter 23, lesson 4: 他人, 某种 and 8 more words.