When describing others, we can use the word 人家 (rénjia) or 别人 (biéren). But 人家 also has other grammatical uses, which we will explore in this article.
Contents
- Structure
- Examples
- See also
- Sources and further reading
- Books
Both mean "others"
人家 and 别人 both refer to others besides the speaker and the listener. However, 人家 is more colloquial.
Structure
Examples
These sentences mean the same thing:
- 我 不 在乎 人家 怎么 说。 Slightly more colloquial
- 我 不 在乎 别人 怎么 说。 I don't care what other people say.
人家 can mean "I"
人家 can be used to refer to yourself, and it is often used this way by women, giving it a sort of girly, shy, tender feeling.
Structure
Examples
- 因为 人家 喜欢 你 嘛。 Because I like you!
- 讨厌，老是 拿 人家 开玩笑 。 You meanie, always making fun of me.
人家 can mean a certain "him" or "her"
人家 can also refer to someone previously referred to (in the context of the conversation or body of text) or it can refer to a certain someone that both the speaker and listener know.
Structure
Examples
- 你 快 去 给 人家 道歉。 Quickly go and apologize to her.
- 你 看 人家 升职 升 得 多 快，你呢？ You see him getting promoted quickly. What about you?
人家 can mean "residents"
人家 can also mean residents or inhabitants.
Examples
- 这里 很 少 有 人家 。 There are very few residents here.
- 前面 有 一 户 人家，我们 去 看看 吧 。 There's a family out front. Let's go see them.
Sources and further reading
Books
- 对外汉语教学语法释疑201例 (人家vs别人 p.81)
Dictionaries