Difference between revisions of "Comparing "renjia" and "bieren""

m (Text replacement - "duōshǎo" to "duōshao")
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
When describing others, we can use the word 人家  (rénjia) or 别人 (biérén). But 人家 also has other grammatical uses, which we will explore in this article.   
+
When referring to other people, we can use both the words 人家  (rénjia) and 别人 (biérén). But 人家 has additional grammatical uses which we will explore in this article.   
  
 
== Both can mean "others" ==
 
== Both can mean "others" ==
Line 12: Line 12:
  
 
*我 不 在乎 <em>人家</em> 怎么 说 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù zàihu <em>rénjia</em> zěnme shuō.</span><span class="trans">I don't care about what other people say.</span>
 
*我 不 在乎 <em>人家</em> 怎么 说 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù zàihu <em>rénjia</em> zěnme shuō.</span><span class="trans">I don't care about what other people say.</span>
*<em>别人</em> 怎么 想 我 怎么 知道 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Biérén</em> zěnme xiǎng wǒ zěnme zhīdào?</span><span class="trans">How could I possibly know what other people are thinking?</span>
+
*<em>别人</em> 怎么 想 我 怎么 知道 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Biérén</em> zěnme xiǎng wǒ zěnme zhīdào?</span><span class="trans">How could I know what other people are thinking?</span>
*那 是 <em>人家</em> 的 事 ,你 管 那么 多 干嘛 ?<span class="pinyin">Nà shì <em>rénjia</em> de shì, nǐ guǎn nàme duō gàn ma?</span><span class="trans">That's other people's business. Why do you care so much?</span>
+
*那 是 <em>人家</em> 的 事 ,你 管 那么 多 干嘛 ?<span class="pinyin">Nà shì <em>rénjia</em> de shì, nǐ guǎn nàme duō gàn ma?</span><span class="trans">That's other people's business. Why get involved?</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Multiple Meanings ==
+
== Additional Uses of 人家 ==
  
 
=== 人家 as "I" or "me" ===
 
=== 人家 as "I" or "me" ===
Line 39: Line 39:
 
=== 人家 as "residents" ===
 
=== 人家 as "residents" ===
  
人家 can also refer to households. In this case, it's pronounced as "rénjiā." This use is going to be the least common in everyday spoken Chinese.  
+
人家 can also refer to households. In this case, it's pronounced as "rénjiā" rather than "rénjia." This use is going to be the least common in everyday spoken Chinese.  
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*这个 小区 有 多少 <strong>户</strong> <em>人家</em> ?<span class="pinyin">Zhège xiǎoqū yǒu duōshao <strong>hù</strong> <em>rénjiā</em>?</span><span class="trans">How many household are here in this neighborhood?</span>
+
*这个 小区 有 多少 <strong>户</strong> <em>人家</em> ?<span class="pinyin">Zhège xiǎoqū yǒu duōshao <strong>hù</strong> <em>rénjiā</em>?</span><span class="trans">How many households are here in this neighborhood?</span>
 
*村子 里 现在 只 剩 十 <strong>户</strong> <em>人家</em> 了 。<span class="pinyin">Cūnzi lǐ xiànzài zhī shèng shí <strong>hù</strong> <em>rénjiā</em> le.</span><span class="trans">There are only ten households left in this village.</span>
 
*村子 里 现在 只 剩 十 <strong>户</strong> <em>人家</em> 了 。<span class="pinyin">Cūnzi lǐ xiànzài zhī shèng shí <strong>hù</strong> <em>rénjiā</em> le.</span><span class="trans">There are only ten households left in this village.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
 +
 +
For these additional uses of 人家, it would be incorrect to use 别人.
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==

Revision as of 04:16, 30 November 2018

Chinese-grammar-wiki-人家.jpg

When referring to other people, we can use both the words 人家 (rénjia) and 别人 (biérén). But 人家 has additional grammatical uses which we will explore in this article.

Both can mean "others"

人家 and 别人 both refer to others besides the speaker and the listener. However, 人家 is more colloquial.

人家 and 别人 are interchangeable in these sentences below.

  • 我 不 在乎 人家 怎么 说 。Wǒ bù zàihu rénjia zěnme shuō.I don't care about what other people say.
  • 别人 怎么 想 我 怎么 知道 ?Biérén zěnme xiǎng wǒ zěnme zhīdào?How could I know what other people are thinking?
  • 那 是 人家 的 事 ,你 管 那么 多 干嘛 ?Nà shì rénjia de shì, nǐ guǎn nàme duō gàn ma?That's other people's business. Why get involved?

Additional Uses of 人家

人家 as "I" or "me"

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.

  • 因为 人家 喜欢 你 啊 。Yīnwèi rénjia xǐhuan nǐ a.Because I like you!
  • 讨厌 !老是 拿 人家 开玩笑 。Tǎoyàn! Lǎo shì ná rénjia kāiwánxiào.You are so annoying! You're always making fun of me.

人家 as "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.

  • 你 快 给 人家 道歉 。Nǐ kuài gěi rénjia dàoqiàn.Apologize to them now.
  • 你 看 人家 多 聪明 !Nǐ kàn rénjia duō cōngming!Look how smart he is!

人家 as "residents"

人家 can also refer to households. In this case, it's pronounced as "rénjiā" rather than "rénjia." This use is going to be the least common in everyday spoken Chinese.

  • 这个 小区 有 多少 人家Zhège xiǎoqū yǒu duōshao rénjiā?How many households are here in this neighborhood?
  • 村子 里 现在 只 剩 十 人家 了 。Cūnzi lǐ xiànzài zhī shèng shí rénjiā le.There are only ten households left in this village.

For these additional uses of 人家, it would be incorrect to use 别人.

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries